About 50 thousand birds and more than 100 dolphins died due to fuel oil spill by Russian tankers - scientist
Kyiv • UNN
A fuel oil spill from Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait killed about 50,000 birds and more than 100 dolphins. Experts estimate that the actual number of dolphins killed may reach several thousand.
About 50,000 birds and more than 100 dolphins died as a result of a fuel oil spill caused by the accident of Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait. This was reported by Ivan Rusev, PhD in biology, head of the research department of the Tuzly Estuaries National Park in Odesa region, on Vechir.Live, UNN reports.
Details
"This tragedy has led to the fact that, according to our estimates, somewhere around 50,000 birds have already died," the expert said.
He noted that compared to the 2007 disaster, when about 30,000 birds died, many more have died now because of the larger fuel oil release.
The ecologist explained that 90% of birds die from poisoning or because their feathers are contaminated with fuel oil. And you can wash these birds, but it is of little use. The reason is that when the fuel oil is washed off, the fat is also washed off, which makes it difficult for them to regulate their thermoregulation. Since cleaning the birds from fuel oil is ineffective, many of them do not survive the consequences of this tragedy.
"The number of dolphins killed so far is more than 100. This is just the ones found. According to expert estimates of scientists, experts from the United States, it has been proven that if dolphins die from oil products in the sea or in the ocean, only 5% of them wash ashore... That is, according to our estimates, several thousand of these dolphins have died. Dolphins have been found in fuel oil, even in Georgia. Thank God, we have not seen such animals, but the consequences of this tragedy are catastrophic for the Black Sea as a whole," explained Rusev.
Recall
A large-scale fuel oil spill has occurred in the temporarily occupied territories of the Black and Azov Seas. The occupation authorities conceal the scale of the environmental disaster and claim that the fish is safe for consumption.
