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Fishing, hunting losses from Black Sea
oil spill over $160 mln
November 16 2007 at 02:04AM
Related Stories
 Fishing
and hunting losses from a fuel oil spill in a strait between the Black
and Azov seas are estimated at over $160 million, the Russian
agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said on Monday.
At least 2,000 metric tons of fuel spilled into the Kerch Strait when a
tanker split open and four freighters sank in a storm on November 11. At
least six sailors died, and the bodies of five more have yet to be found.
"Preliminary damage to fish stock amounts to 3.96 billion rubles [some
$162 million]," the agency said in a statement, adding that hunting
losses would amount to 6.084 million rubles (about $250,000).
Earlier reports said some 30,000 birds had died as a result of the fuel
oil slick. Tests of water samples showed that contamination by oil
products was 2.5 milligrams per liter, some 50 times above acceptable
levels.
Alexander Davydenko, the head of the Federal Agency for Sea and Inland
Water Transportation, said on Monday that a temporary sailing ban had
been introduced on vessels more than 25 years old.
He said the measure had been introduced due to the incident in the Kerch
Strait, and that all vessels would be now inspected to find out if they
met safety standards.
The four dry-cargo vessels that sank during the storm had about 7,000
metric tons of sulfur on board, the press service for the Ukrainian
Environmental Protection Ministry said. Although the chemical was in
containers, the ministry said that sulfur was currently leaking from one
of the vessels.
Big bill for
clean-up of Black Sea oil spill
Moscow
Russian authorities on Thursday estimated the damage from a 2 000-ton
fuel oil spill in the Black Sea this week at $12,4-billion, news agency
reports said.
"The possible damage from the catastrophe will be around 304 billion
rubles," Nikolai Bezirganin, the local head of Russian fisheries agency
Rosrybolovstvo, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
Bezirganin said the estimate included the costs of cleaning up the spill
over the next 10 years and restoring the ecosystems in the waters of the
Black Sea and the Sea of Azov where the accident happened.
A powerful storm on Sunday wrecked five ships in Russian and Ukrainian
waters in the north-eastern corner of the Black Sea, including an oil
tanker.
The resulting spill has killed thousands of seabirds and fish. -
Sapa-AFP
Wrecked Black
Sea ships start to leak sulphur
19 Nov 2007 20:02:03 GMT
Source: Reuters
KIEV, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Sulphur from two ships that sank in a storm
near the Black Sea last week is leaking into waters already polluted by
an oil spill from another vessel, Ukraine's Environment Ministry said on
Monday.
Four ships sank in the Kerch Strait on the northern mouth of the Black
Sea in one of the worst storms in a century. They included a Russian-registered
tanker which disgorged hundreds of tonnes of oil, creating a
environmental disaster for the area's delicate ecology.
Tens of thousands of birds, covered in heavy fuel oil and unable to fly,
have been killed mostly on Russia's side of the strait. The pollution
has also killed fish and even dolphins, according to environmental
agencies.
Two other Russian ships were carrying several thousand tonnes of sulphur.
"As a result of divers' investigations of the Kovel (vessel in Ukrainian
waters), it was established that the boat has a hole in the side, the
lids of two holds have been torn off and sulphur is flowing into the
sea," the ministry said.
It said in a statement that Russian investigators found the same had
happened with the Nakhichevan, a vessel that sank in Russian waters.
The Ukrainian weather centre issued a warning on Monday of possible
storms around the Crimean peninsula with winds of up to 110 kph (70 mph),
similar speeds to those last week.
A group of EU environment experts arrived in Kiev on Monday. They will
fly to the Kerch Strait to assess the impact of the storms and offer
advice on how to handle the damage, an EU spokesman based in Kiev said.
The worst of the storm affected the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia
from Ukraine and links the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea. Winds carried
most of the fuel oil onto Russian shores. Each side has threatened to
seek compensation from the other.
Interfax news agency quoted the deputy head of Russia's environment
watchdog Rosprirodnadzor as saying Moscow could demand compensation
after a Ukrainian deputy foreign minister argued Russia should pay up
for the damage done by the Russian tanker. (Reporting by Natalya Zinets,
writing by Sabina Zawadzki)
Thousands of
birds die in Black Sea oil spill
13-11-2007
"...this incident is an ecological disaster in an important area for
wildlife” —Dr Clairie Papazoglou, Head of BirdLife’s European Division
Thousands of birds and fish have been killed as oil spills from a
stricken tanker in the northern Black Sea. At least 30,000 birds have
died, and thousands more are covered in oil and face death in the coming
days. The main species reported to be affected are Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo, Common Coot Fulica atra, Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatus and Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis. So far,
50km of Russian coastline is affected by the oil spills.
Dr Clairie Papazoglou, Head of BirdLife’s European Division comments:
“BirdLife International is very concerned as this incident is an
ecological disaster in an important area for wildlife.”
Two Important Bird Areas (IBAs), nearby, the Kiziltash Bay and the
Tamanski and Dinskiy Bays, are under threat. Both are designated
primarily for migrating and wintering birds. Up to 50,000 migratory
waterfowl and other birds are known to use the sites during migration.
Among these are Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus, listed as
vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus
albicilla.
On Saturday night November 10th, a heavy storm brought severe damage to
vessels stuck in the Kerch Strait between the Sea of Azov and the Black
Sea. One vessel broke in two, leaking at least 2,000 tonnes of oil in
the Black Sea. At least three more vessels that sank carried potentially
hazardous sulphur. Twelve ships in total were reported to have been
affected by the storms, killing at least six sailors.
Due to the weather circumstances which are still difficult at the moment,
information about the current situation in the area is sparse.
BirdLife’s network representatives are therefore relying on local
sources to receive updates.
Weather services have announced more storms for tonight which make it
impossible to undertake large-scale rescue operations at sea or to start
cleaning oil-covered birds.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20071119/88716301-print.html
http://www.int.iol.co.za/general/news/newsprint.php?art_
id=nw20071115231308722C116802&sf=
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L19216029.htm
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2007/11/black_sea_oil_spill.html
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