BRAZILIAN OIL SLICKS POSE THREAT TO RARE SEABIRDS
Cambridge, UK, 21 March 2001 - Two 8km by 2km oil slicks reportedly leaking from the wreck of the P-36 oil rig off Brazil pose a threat to rare seabirds in the vicinity, according to BirdLife International, the world's leading authority on the status of birds [1].
"BirdLife International is deeply concerned that critically endangered Spectacled Petrel (Procellaria conspicillata) and near threatened Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thelassarche chlororhynchos) - two species that occur in the area - could be oiled and killed by these two oil slicks", said Dr Marco Lambertini, BirdLife International's Director of Network & Programme [2].
More abundant species that migrate through this area and which occur in waters off Europe and the UK could also be adversely affected, including Manx (Puffinus puffinus), Cory's (Calonectris diomedea) and Great (Puffinus gravis) Shearwaters.
"Even if no oil is washed ashore from these two spills it is important not to underestimate the impact that oil spills can have on seabirds and other marine species", said Dr Lambertini. "The impacts do not have to appear to be dramatic to be significant. Seabirds can be killed without anyone recording their bodies after they have sunk or been scavenged" [4].
The 40-storey Petrobas-36 oil rig reportedly had 9,500 barrels (1.5 million litres) of oil on board when it sank 120 kilometres north east of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. In recent years several oil spills in other parts of the world have killed large numbers of seabirds [3].
The data presented here was collected by BirdLife International's Globally Threatened Species Programme and published in Threatened Birds of the World in October 2000:
1. Spectacled Petrel Procellaria conspicillata (Critically Endangered)
This species is critically endangered because it is confined to one tiny island (Inaccessible Island, Tristan de Cuhna, UK Overseas Territory) when breeding and is likely to be declining because there is strong evidence that proportionately large numbers are being caught by longline fishing vessels. Current estimates are that some 700 individual birds are killed in longline fisheries each year from a total population estimated to be between 2,500 and 10,000 individuals. It is known to be present in waters off Brazil in increasing numbers at this time of year.
2. Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thelassarche chlororhynchos (Near Threatened)
There is no information on the trends for most populations of this species but one study of a small population showed a significant decrease over 1982-1999. There are reports of mortalities in longline fisheries, in particular an estimated mortality of at least 900 individual birds per annum off south-eastern Brazil and where it is know to be one of the commonest species to follow longline vessels. If further information confirms that this species is suffering a continuing decline or a significant overall reduction, a classification of Vulnerable would be appropriate.
For further information please contact Michael Szabo on +44 (0)1223 277 318 or 07779 018332 (mobile). michael.szabo@birdlife.org.uk
NOTES:
BirdLife International is a global alliance of conservation organisations working in more than 100 countries who, together, are the leading authority on the status of birds, their habitats and the issues and problems affecting bird life. BirdLife International also has a global Seabirds programme which aims to conserve the world's threatened seabirds.
Critically Endangered. A species is Critically Endangered (= Critical) when it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. Endangered. A species is Endangered when it is not Critical but is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. Vulnerable. A species is Vulnerable when it is not Critical or Endangered but is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future.
Previous oil spills affecting seabirds: In June 2000 the Treasure sank off the west coast of South Africa. Fuel oil leaking from the ship surrounded the nearby Robben and Dassen Islands, both of which host important colonies of African Penguins Spheniscus demersus. Up to 40% of the world population of this globally threatened species was in danger, but thanks to the timely efforts of 40,000 rescuers and BirdLife Partners (BirdLife South Africa, LPO, RSPB and WBFT) 23,000 oiled birds were able to be taken to be cleaned at Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) centres and 20,000 unoiled birds temporarily removed to Port Elizabeth to avoid oiling. The sinking of the Erika off the Brittany coast in late December 1999 is another dramatic example of the effect oil pollution can have on seabirds. By the end of January 2000, a total of almost 61,000 oiled birds had been handled, of which nearly 52,000 were dead and nearly 9,000 oiled but still alive (although their survival chances are low, especially if they were heavily oiled and ingested oil). This means that the known number of dead birds already far exceeded the estimated total of birds killed in the UK by the Torrey Canyon disaster in 1967, the previous worst incident on the Atlantic coast. The estimated total number of dead seabirds, making allowances for the fact that a far greater proportion of birds die at sea and are never recovered than are actually brought ashore, puts the number of dead birds at 100,000 to 150,000. However, other estimates put the total at a far higher level - perhaps as high as 200,000 or 300,000 birds in this disaster.
Oil can affect seabirds directly through coating the plumage of birds and reducing water-proofing properties of the feathers. As birds preen the oiled plumage, toxic residues can be ingested and adversely affect their metabolism leading to dehydration and poisoning.