Last oiled birds released after cargo ship grounding
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E-mail Xinhua, February 18, 2012
The final group of seabirds treated for oil coverage after a cargo ship grounded on a New Zealand reef last year were released back into the wild Friday.
The seven little blue penguins released by the National Oiled Wildlife Response Team had been cleaned after being covered in oil spilled from the Liberian-flagged Rena, which ran on to the Astrolabe Reef off the east of the North Island on Oct. 5.
The penguins were released near Motiti Island, near the port of Tauranga, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand, the country' s shipping authority, which has overseen the clean-up and recovery of the ship's wreckage.
Team co-ordinator and Massey University wildlife veterinarian Kerri Morgan said the event was expected to be the last release of multiple birds rescued and treated for oiling.
"We still have two birds in care at Massey one has an injury and the other is going through its molt. We will release those birds back into the Bay of Plenty when their health allows it, but the release of the seven Motiti birds this morning is probably the last release we will see of multiple treated birds," she said in the statement.
The first wildlife release was held on Nov. 22 last year, and all the other birds had since been released back into the wild as their health and their habitats had been signed off as ready by wildlife experts.
At the height of the response, more than 400 birds were being cared for at oiled wildlife facility.
Morgan said only five oiled birds had been picked up over the last month.
"This is really reassuring as it shows us that the amounts of residual oil in the environment are not having a significant effect on wildlife," she said.
At the height of the response the sheer numbers of sick and dead birds was at times overwhelming, she said.
A total of 2,299 dead birds were collected during the response, of which 1,443 were oiled.
MNZ national on-scene commander Mick Courtnell said the release was a real milestone in the response and recovery operation.
"The fact they are now leaving is actually a measurement of their success and an indication of the commitment and dedication they have shown to getting the job done. We are all tremendously proud of the wildlife response the team has mounted," said Courtnell in the statement.
"It's important to recognize that while the bulk of the oil is safely off Rena and the bulk of the oil spilled has been cleaned up, we still face a threat from the wreck, in the form of a few pockets of oil that the salvors can not reach," Courtnell said.
The exact amount of oil left on Rena was impossible to quantify, but was estimated to be in the tens of tonnes.
The ship has since broken in two and salvors are still trying to recover the cargo containers.
Two senior officers of the ship's Filipino crew have been charged in connection with the grounding and the associated pollution.
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