 |
Washed of oil, Magellanic penguins are released back into the wild. (Photo: © Yeray Seminario) |
|
Tell a friend 
|
An oil spill along the Patagonia coastline in Argentina made life miserable for penguins, steamer ducks, great grebes and other birds. After the December 27, 2007 spill, more than 642 birds have been oiled. As of February 11, 2008, a total of 256 birds, including 163 penguins, 43 grebes, 41 cormorants, 9 steamer ducks had been released back into the wild. Release! IBRRC blog
 |
Oiled cormorants being fed in Argentina. (IFAW photo) |
A team of veteran oil response members, including Jay Holcomb, IBRRC's Executive Director and Michelle Bellizzi, Rehabilitation Manager for IBRRC's Cordelia bird center, are caring for the oiled birds in a makeshift response center. Also joining the team are three IBRRC interns, José María “Chema” Barredo, Laura Barcelo and Yeray Seminario fresh from their experiences on the San Francisco Bay oil spill. All interns are fluent in Spanish.
The oil spill was detected along the coast of Chubut Province, in Argentina. The spill site is located 12 km north of Comodoro Rivadavia, in Caleta Cordova, approximately 1,740 km south of Buenos Aires.
The spill clean-up is underway and being handled by the Navy. The oil spill has covered an area of 24 square kilometres in the Atlantic Ocean.
The local government in Patagonia has formally accused four oil companies for complicity in the oil spill off the coast of Chubut, Argentina that oiled hundreds of birds and damaged the ecosystem along a four kilometer coastline.
Before the local court, the Chubut province government named Terminales Maritimas Patagonias, (Termap), which operates an offshore oil loading platform north of Comodoro Rivadavia where the spill originally occurred. Other companies include: Repsol-YPF, Sociedad Internacional Petrolera (Sipetrol, from Chile) and Pan American Energy Iberica that jointly hold the majority package of Termap.
 |
A Great Grebe floats in pool after cleaning at Patagonia oiled wildlife response center in southern Argentina.
(Photo: Jay Holcomb/IBRRC) |
Local authorities suspect the oil spill occurred in December when oil was being loaded on a tanker. The first signs of the spill were discovered by residents from Caleta Córdoba, a small fishing village.
The Argentine government is supporting the development of a wildlife response facility, as well as providing supplies and equipment needed to care for animals. In addition to the the International Fund for Animal Welfare's IFAW ER Team, there are approximately 100 volunteers under their direction, assisting with the rescue effort.
 |
Cleaned of oil, Magellanic Penguins swim in pool. (IFAW photo) |
IBRRC is no stranger to working in South America. It helped in Argentina in 1991 and since then has helped develop and manage the IFAW/IBRRC Penguin Network. The network as ben instrumental in bringing many South American wildlife groups together to share resources, information and expertise. See: Penguin Network info
IBRRC works in partnership with IFAW worldwide to response to major spills and develop trainings to help local groups learn how to best treat oiled animals. IFAW is again sponsoring IBRRC staff and other wildlife professionals Mexico and elsewhere to travel to this remote region.
|
|
|
|
642 |
NA |
324 |
256 |
As of 2/11/08 another 62 birds remained in care |
Listen to KCBS radio report
Bird rescue blog
|
