When the Liberian-flagged freighter began to leak oil on 11 October, many scientists and environmentalists were worried about the impacts this would have on the environment. Now that several days have passed we are now beginning to see the true extent of the oil spill.
The Bay of Plenty is one of New Zealand’s most prized areas of natural beauty and the estimated 300 tonnes of oil which have been spilt will be extremely damaging. It has been noted that clumps of heavy oil have washed up on beaches such as Mt Maunganui and Papamoa. These affected beaches have been closed, and officials have warned locals not to move the clumps, as this may only make the environmental problem worse.
Many charities and authorities in the local area have reported treating animal and marine life such as blue penguins that have been covered in oil. To care for the animals which have been hurt, the Department of Conservation have created two wildlife rescue centres and dispatched teams to search the beaches and surrounding islands for animals and birds. One of these in in Te Maunga and so far they have reported recovering eight oiled birds. These birds have been covered in ‘sticky black gunk’ which matts their fur. Many birds have ingested this, making them anaemic. So far more than 900 dead birds had been identified, comprising 23 species. These included 458 diving petrels, 198 fluttering shearwaters, 92 Buller's shearwaters, 38 white-faced storm petrels, 20 little blue penguins and 2 shag birds. This could be devastating for species such as the blue penguin, as many of these breed have been affected. For many animals, such as the native birds, the oil spill has occurred in the middle of the breeding season. Also, the oil spill could affect the whales and dolphins that calve in the area, and also the babies which they give birth to.
The damage to the environment will also affect the tourism in the area. The area is known as a particularly good place for fishing, diving and aquatic wildlife. The oil spill has killed and damaged the fish in the area, which will cause the quality of the fish to degrade. If the oil isn’t completely cleaned up, then diving may not be able to done in some areas, as the quality of the water may be dangerous to humans.
Even though the oil spill is occurring as we speak, it is likely that the effects of the oil spill will be felt for many years in the future. This is because many birds which are breeding locally will lose both this breeding season and the next as the birds are likely to be in bad health, damaging breeding ability.
Jane 13Z
