Birds and seals at risk from North Sea crash, charity says
Jet fuel carried by the Stena Immaculate tanker was released when it was hit by the Solong on Monday morning, with multiple explosions on board the Stena and flames surrounding the crash site.
Martin Slater, director of operations at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said pollution could potentially be 'devastating' to the Humber estuary with birds and seals at risk.
He said: 'Our thoughts are with everyone on the ships and the rescue crews. This is obviously a very worrying incident and we're following developments closely, including waiting to see if there is any pollution into the North Sea from this incident.
'East Yorkshire's coast is home to protected and significant colonies of seabirds including puffins, razorbills, gannets and kittiwakes. Many birds are gathering offshore on the sea ahead of the nesting season. There are significant numbers of Atlantic grey seals in the area, many rearing this year's young, as well as porpoises and other cetaceans around Spurn.
'If pollution spillage enters the Humber, this could potentially be devasting for the wildlife of the estuary, including important fish stocks and tens of thousands of overwintering and migrating birds who use the mud flats.'
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the crash was close to the biggest gannet colony in England and warned a leak could be 'lethal' to seabirds.
Dave O'Hara, senior site manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, said: 'As details continue to emerge, our first thoughts are for the safety of everyone on board and those responding to this incident.
'The East Coast is home to internationally important populations of seabirds.
'The incident is also close to Bempton Cliffs, home to the biggest gannet colony in England.
'Naturally, we are extremely concerned about the potential for a leak from the tanker as oil pollution can seriously damage habitats and be lethal to seabirds.
'We are keeping a close eye on this situation and will work with the relevant marine authorities as is needed.'
Wildlife authorities have stated they will not intervene in the rescue efforts until all the mariners are accounted for.
A spokesperson for Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary said efforts to protect wildlife would not interfere with emergency services' efforts at the scene.
The spokesperson said: 'We've explained to everyone that the top priority is human life.
'In regards to wildlife services, everyone just has to sit tight.'
Emergency measures are in place for any injured birds that wash ashore in the coming days, which may include euthanizing animals if their injuries are severe.
The spokesperson went on: 'Hopefully, the effect on wildlife will be minimal, but there is an emergency contingency plan in place if lots of oiled birds wash up.
'A large triage of tents will be set up – we do not know where yet because we have to take into consideration the tidal changes.
'Birds will be transported, recorded, washed and may even have to be euthanized – it's worth noting that the area is an Avian Influenza Area.
'We have a large network ready to go.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
20 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Spider season: Extinct spiders are making comeback in the UK
However, don't despair; the huge growth in the number of Fen Raft Spiders is a conservation success story. The spider was on the verge of extinction in the UK in 2010, but has thankfully made a comeback thanks to the efforts of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Huge conservation news! 🕸️🕷️ We've helped the UK's LARGEST spider come back from the brink of extinction! While they may look big and scary, the fen raft spider is harmless and plays a VITAL role within healthy aquatic ecosystems. However, 15 years ago, they almost became… — Chester Zoo (@chesterzoo) August 21, 2024 The Fen Raft Spider The Fen Raft Spider's diet includes other spiders, damselflies, dragonfly larvae and even fish and tadpoles. They are easiest to spot in grazing marsh ditches from June to September. 'The Fen Raft Spider is one of the UK's rarest invertebrates and we are proud of the role our reserves and teams have played in its recovery,' Tim Strudwick, the RSPB Mid Yare nature reserves site manager where many of the spiders are homed, told the MailOnline. 'These spiders have an important role in maintaining the rich aquatic diversity found in the grazing ditches on our reserves. The females are impressive in size, but also beautiful – they are truly special to see,' Mr Strudwick added. The spiders are not venomous but are semi-aquatic and can run across the water's surface to capture their prey. Recommended reading: BBC researcher confirms tarantulas inhabit these parts of UK UK's confirmed biggest spider might be lurking in buildings Every sighting of the venomous false widow spider in the UK Mr Strudwick added that the spiders can also be seen at another RSPB site in Norfolk but are 'fairly shy'. Numbers are up to 3,750 breeding females at 12 sites in Norfolk alone. He added: 'Walking along the meadow trail gives visitors at Strumpshaw Fen the best chance of sightings of the mature females and their glistening nursery webs, so now is the perfect time to make a trip to the reserve.' RSPB ecologist, Jane Sears, who was also involved in Fen Raft Spider conservation told the paper: 'The RSPB has played an important role in the reintroduction of these spiders and means we must continue to restore, manage and protect the wetland habitats where the Fen Raft Spider thrives to ensure the future of not just this species, but many others too.'
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
Spider season: Extinct spiders are making comeback in the UK
However, don't despair; the huge growth in the number of Fen Raft Spiders is a conservation success story. The spider was on the verge of extinction in the UK in 2010, but has thankfully made a comeback thanks to the efforts of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Huge conservation news! 🕸️🕷️ We've helped the UK's LARGEST spider come back from the brink of extinction! While they may look big and scary, the fen raft spider is harmless and plays a VITAL role within healthy aquatic ecosystems. However, 15 years ago, they almost became… — Chester Zoo (@chesterzoo) August 21, 2024 The Fen Raft Spider The Fen Raft Spider's diet includes other spiders, damselflies, dragonfly larvae and even fish and tadpoles. They are easiest to spot in grazing marsh ditches from June to September. 'The Fen Raft Spider is one of the UK's rarest invertebrates and we are proud of the role our reserves and teams have played in its recovery,' Tim Strudwick, the RSPB Mid Yare nature reserves site manager where many of the spiders are homed, told the MailOnline. 'These spiders have an important role in maintaining the rich aquatic diversity found in the grazing ditches on our reserves. The females are impressive in size, but also beautiful – they are truly special to see,' Mr Strudwick added. The spiders are not venomous but are semi-aquatic and can run across the water's surface to capture their prey. Recommended reading: BBC researcher confirms tarantulas inhabit these parts of UK UK's confirmed biggest spider might be lurking in buildings Every sighting of the venomous false widow spider in the UK Mr Strudwick added that the spiders can also be seen at another RSPB site in Norfolk but are 'fairly shy'. Numbers are up to 3,750 breeding females at 12 sites in Norfolk alone. He added: 'Walking along the meadow trail gives visitors at Strumpshaw Fen the best chance of sightings of the mature females and their glistening nursery webs, so now is the perfect time to make a trip to the reserve.' RSPB ecologist, Jane Sears, who was also involved in Fen Raft Spider conservation told the paper: 'The RSPB has played an important role in the reintroduction of these spiders and means we must continue to restore, manage and protect the wetland habitats where the Fen Raft Spider thrives to ensure the future of not just this species, but many others too.'
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Wales Online
Warning over ‘decade of decline' for one of England's precious chalk streams
Warning over 'decade of decline' for one of England's precious chalk streams WildFish has found a significant decline in wildlife such as freshwater shrimps, mayflies, caddisflies, beetles and aquatic bugs. Chalk streams have clear, flowing water fed from underground chalk aquifers and springs Surveying shows one of England's important chalk streams has suffered "a decade of decline", campaigners warn as they call for more action to protect the globally rare habitat. Monitoring at five sites on the River Avon, which flows through Wiltshire and Hampshire, over the past 10 years by conservation charity WildFish has found a significant decline in wildlife such as freshwater shrimps, mayflies, caddisflies, beetles and aquatic bugs. WildFish said the declines in invertebrates showed the Government was not doing enough to protect precious chalk streams – even ones such as the Avon, which have the highest conservation status. The charity is calling for government bodies such as the Environment Agency and Natural England to "raise the bar" by setting more ambitious environmental standards to assess the health of what should be wildlife-rich chalk streams. The monitoring, carried out in partnership with the Wiltshire Fishery Association as part of the SmartRivers citizen science project, reveals the diversity of invertebrates fell by 17% and numbers were down by more than three quarters (77%) in average annual counts between 2015 and 2024. The situation for riverflies, which are sensitive to pollution and a good indicator for the wider health of the river ecosystem, was even worse, with the monitoring revealing the diversity of the Avon's riverfly species had fallen by 25% and average abundance of the insects was down 83% in 10 years. Article continues below Despite the declines, official assessments under the statutory water framework directive found the monitored sites all scored as high quality for invertebrates in 2015 and were still high or good quality in 2024. WildFish's Dr Janina Gray warns the statutory standards set the bar too low to reflect the high levels of invertebrate life which a healthy chalk stream should support. As a result, the official monitoring can conclude all is well in the river despite major declines in key species, and make action and investment to protect them more difficult, she warned. Chalk streams, with their clear, flowing water fed from underground chalk aquifers and springs, provide habitat for an array of wildlife including Atlantic salmon, brown trout and water crowfoot, as well as water resources for people. There are only around 200 in the world, most of them found in the southern half of England, making them an internationally rare habitat. But they are suffering from "death by a million cuts", according to Dr Gray, with pressures on water quality driven by nutrient pollution, sediment and chemicals from water treatment works, agriculture, and road run-off. They are also threatened by over-abstraction of water, reducing the flows in the river and making pollution more concentrated. Dr Gray, head of science and policy at WildFish, told the PA news agency: "The Avon is a SAC, it's the most protected river we have, and yet the abundance drops that we're seeing are dramatic in that time period. "It's just about hanging in there." She added: "It just shows that the bar is not set high enough to properly protect chalk streams." And she warned: "These ecosystems are globally rare and ecologically critical, but without immediate action, we risk causing irreversible damage to the very characteristics that make them so important." All chalk streams should be designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), WildFish argues, joining the handful of such waterways which already have the classification. And current assessments and protections do not go far enough and need to be properly enforced. "We would like the Environment Agency and Natural England to revise the standards for chalk streams to raise the bar to protect them," Dr Gray said. A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "Within this new government, our top priority is to clean Britain's rivers and restore them from years of damage. Chalk stream restoration is a vital part of this effort. Article continues below "We have secured £2 billion of funding from water companies to start cleaning them, while modernising the abstraction licensing system to ensure water is used sustainably and to stop damaging abstraction practises to the environment – a problem particularly pronounced in chalk streams. "This is part of our wider plan to rebuild the water system, including a record £104 billion investment to halve sewage spills by 2030 and the creation of a new, powerful regulator."
