Recent information regarding the oil disaster resulting from a stricken tanker in the northern Black Sea gives hope that the impact of the oil spill to birds is not as big as initially reported. Confirmation so far comes for several thousand birds, and not tens of thousands as originally feared. However, the really important news is that teams on the ground are actively engaged in cleaning operations. Top Priority is to remove as far as possible the accumulated oil from the shore line in order to prevent further damage to wildlife.

BirdLife Malta's Conservation Manager Dr André Raine said, "This environmental disaster will not just have an impact on biodiversity in the Black Sea, but also represents a serious threat to the internationally important population of Yelkouan Shearwaters breeding in Malta."

"We are currently carrying out actions to protect these birds as part of an EU LIFE project at Rdum tal-Madonna. In past winters, two young birds fitted with a metal identification ring by BirdLife Malta (both at Rdum tal-Madonna) as part of scientific ringing studies have been recovered in the Black Sea (one from Russia and one from the Ukraine). This suggests that many of our young Yelkouan spend their first few winters feeding in the Black Sea. This oil spill could, therefore, have serious consequences for the conservation of our breeding population, either through direct oiling or through knock-on effects in future years if the oil enters the food chain and our birds feed in the area."

Volunteers of the Russian Birds Conservation Union (BirdLife Partner in Russia) and other non-governmental organisations have been mobilized. At this stage it is very important to monitor the birds in order to take relevant measures. The three main Russian nature conservation NGOs - Greenpeace Russia, WWF Russia and the RBCU have established a common coordination headquarter for the crisis.

Information about dead and damaged birds on the Ukrainian island Tuzla has been confirmed. The Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds (BirdLife Partner in Ukraine) is in contact with the Ministry for Environmental Protection, providing them with information about methods and actions to rescue oiled birds.

Satellite images of the disaster area have been released and can be viewed by clicking here. The images so far show that the Important Bird Areas (IBAs) located near the strait are relatively unaffected. The risks, naturally, remain and continue to be very much dependant on weather conditions. The main polluted areas so far are Cape Chushka (Russia) and the Tuzla island (Ukraine).