Birds and dolphins are early victims in Black Sea oil spill that’s contaminated 35 miles of coastline and threatens region’s ecosystem for years to come
A storm in the Kerch Strait that caused two tankers to shipwreck on December 15 has spilled oil across more than 50 kilometers (almost 35 miles) of Black Sea coastline in Russia’s Krasnodar region. On Thursday, Vladimir Putin revealed that the tankers lost nearly 40 percent of their fuel cargo — more than 3,000 metric tons (792,500 gallons) of oil. As a result, the Russian authorities have declared an emergency in the towns of Anapa, Veselovka, and Blagoveshchenskaya. Meduza reports on the cleanup effort and the extent of the pollution’s spread.
According to user-generated markers posted on Yandex Maps, traces of oil have been discovered along a 54-kilometer stretch — from outside Anapa to the town of Bolshoy Utrish. Russia’s Federal Emergency Management Ministry reported on December 18 that cleanup efforts are underway along a 49-kilometer stretch of coastline in the Temryuksky and Anapsky districts. Regional authorities in Krasnodar noted that pollution spans 44 kilometers near Anapa. As of Thursday morning, December 19, Federal Emergency Management officials said they had surveyed 130 kilometers (80 miles) of coastline.
Ecologist Yevgeny Vitishko told Mediazona on Wednesday, December 18, that the oil products could reach the Bolshoy Utrish Reserve or move toward Taman via the Kerch Strait into bays that host protected bird habitats.
The Federal Emergency Management Ministry reported on Thursday morning that more than 5,000 rescuers and volunteers are involved in cleaning the beaches of Krasnodar Krai. According to regional authorities, some 5,500 people (including 4,000 volunteers) are helping with cleanup efforts in Anapa and the Temryuksky district. Anapa city administration officials say the cleanup operation also includes 300 military personnel and staff from more than 120 sanatoriums. Crews are removing the oil from beaches by shoveling it into garbage bags.
Road construction equipment has also been deployed for the cleanup. According to Federal Emergency Management officials, more than 860 tons of oil-contaminated soil had been collected in Krasnodar Krai by 1:20 p.m., Moscow time, on December 19. The Anapa city administration reported that the contaminated soil is being transported for disposal using 184 heavy vehicles, including dump trucks, loaders, and bulldozers.
Ecologist Yevgeny Vitishko says the oil spill has harmed aquatic birds, including the great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), whose habitat stretches along the oil-polluted coastline.
Grigory Prokopov, a research associate at the Center for Freshwater and Brackish-Water Hydrobiology, told the state media that other affected species in the disaster area include Eurasian coots, mallards, great cormorants, and many others that migrate here for the winter. He estimated that between 2,000 and 5,000 birds are in the danger zone. Vladimir Romanov, the director of the Russian Ornithological Society, says up to 10,000 birds — including swans, diving ducks, and sandpipers — may be in the affected area. He warned that pollution could kill half or more of these birds.
Oil films are particularly deadly for birds, as they cause feathers and down to stick together, explained biologist Vasily Klimov.
A bird rescue center has been opened in the town of Vityazevo, outside Anapa. According to ecologist Yevgeny Vitishko, birds that reach the shore are exhausted and at risk of drowning. Volunteers are cleaning the oil from these animals, giving them absorbent agents, and then working with veterinarians to decide whether to release them or transport them to another location.
The oil spill is also causing dolphin fatalities. Dmitry Glazov, a research associate at the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, told the state media that the spill has affected a critical area for dolphins in the Black Sea. He noted that a similar spill in 2007 led to the deaths of many marine animals, including dolphins. “I believe that this large spill will impact the ecosystem for at least another 10 years, if not longer,” Glazov warned.
The Anapa region’s upcoming beach season may be disrupted, one ecologist told Agentstvo Media anonymously. “These types of oil products absorb into the sand and are very difficult to remove. The beaches might appear relatively clean, but the oil will start to vaporize when the sun heats up,” the expert explained.
