Treasure oil spill

Helping save 20, 000 oiled penguins in Cape Town

On June 23, 2000 the damaged bulk ore carrier MV gem sank off the coast of Southern Africa between Dassen and Robben islands, which support the biggest and third largest colonies of African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus), globally. The worldwide population of African penguins is numbered at lower than 180, 000 and dwindling. The ship spilled over 1, 300 a lot of bunker oil, which straight away oiled tens of thousands of penguins on and all over islands.

As well as the rehabilitation program, there was an enormous pre-emptive capture system initiated regarding the countries and it had been successful in relocating over 19, 500 non-oiled penguins. Currently, over 90% for the oiled wild birds are rehabilitated and released.

Even though the amount of oiled birds ended up being staggering, the IBRRC response group ended up being experienced with major spills effecting penguins, because they have actually responded to three previous spills in Cape Town, the biggest that ended up being the Apollo Sea spill.

In 1994, six years before the Treasure spill, nearly 10, 000 African penguins had been oiled from sinking of the Apollo Sea bulk ore company. Of the oiled penguins, over 4, 700 had been rehabilitated and released. Soon after the Apollo water spill, regional trustees in Cape Town began a monitoring system on nearby reproduction countries of Robben and Dassen. Biologists have spent the last six years studying these reproduction colonies and possess unearthed that seventy-five percent associated with the rehabilitated birds have been seen from the area and therefore the wild birds had been reproduction at normal mortality prices 36 months post spill.

While these study email address details are very interesting, the Overseas Bird save analysis Center continues to research the consequences of oil on wildlife in an attempt to offer the best achievable look after oiled pets. Our protocols have actually advanced level significantly since 1994, as studies have shown brand-new and better ways to offer treatment to oiled animals. With new advancements in the field, discover strong proof that a much greater percentage of oiled penguins from the Treasure spill will endure to reproduce once again.