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Title: Prestige oil spill - latest update 20/11/2002 Post by Project Officer on Nov 21st, 2002, 12:06am For your information. There is a full page report on Ming Pao Daily 20/11/2002 on the oil spill http://full.mingpaonews.com/20021120/taa1r.htm Here is the latest update from BirdLife International: Quote" Attn Partner, Partner Designate, Affiliate and Secretariat staff SEO/BirdLife's Antonio Sandoval was interviewed by BBC TV News today in La Coruna, Spain, commenting on the "Prestige" oil spill. If you have the right software you will be able to download the interview from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2494013.stm Alternatively you may be able to watch it on BBC World broadcasts. Just in the past few minutes I've had enquiries from Nature in the UK, Ming Pao Daily News in Hong Kong and Radio New Zealand news. The latest news from Carlota Viada is that she is meeting with representatives of the regional government and maritime ssafety in Galicia to try to arrange some small vessels to take SEO/BirdLife people out onto the sea to evaluate the impact on seabirds. She also has an interview lined up with Sky News. That's all for now Michael Szabo Communications Manager BirdLife International "Unquote |
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Title: SEO/BirdLife's "Prestige" oil spill respons Post by Project Officer on Nov 21st, 2002, 12:09am Further information from BirdLife Partner, Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO) Quote" Attn BirdLife Partners, Partners Designate, Affiliates and Secretariat Staff SEO/BirdLife has sent a request to its membership asking for more volunteers to help with its response to the Prestige oil spill - monitoring oiled birds and the clean up operation. BirdLife International, on behalf of SEO/BirdLife, is also collecting funds to help with the response. Should concerned people contact you and express a wish to make a donation to help SEO/BirdLife, please direct them to the BirdLife website, where they can make a donation online: http://www.birdlife.net/oilspill/index.cfm Also please feel free to include a link to this address on Partner, Partner Designate and Affiliate websites, and to give the URL in press releases. This button also links to the SEO/BirdLife website for information in Spanish, to BirdLife's press releases about the spill and includes an article from World Birdwatch about the 1999/2000 "Erika" oil spill off the French Atlantic coast which gives a summary of its impacts. That's all for now Michael Szabo Communications Manager BirdLife International "Unquote |
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Title: Press release from BirdLife International (20 Nov) Post by Project Officer on Nov 21st, 2002, 12:31am There is also a BBC story about the threat posed to seabirds and other wildlife at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2491965.stm Press release from BirdLife International (20/11/2002) Quote" PRESTIGE OIL SPILL THREATENS THOUSANDS OF SEABIRDS Cambridge, UK, 20th November 2002 -- With hundreds of seabirds of 18 species already oiled and more coming ashore all the time, BirdLife International fears that thousands of seabirds could be oiled by the reported 160 km slick from the Prestige which sank off the Spanish Galician coast yesterday [1,2,3,4,5]. If worse weather arrives, migrating seabirds may be attracted to seemingly calm oil-covered water, resulting in many becoming oiled and dying out at sea. "Volunteers from the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/BirdLife) have already recorded hundreds of oiled seabirds including Razorbills, Northern Gannets, Guillemots, Shags and sea ducks on the coast. Now that the Prestige has sunk the risk to these and over a dozen other seabird species present the area has increased significantly", said Carlota Viada of SEO/BirdLife (BirdLife International Partner in Spain). "SEO/BirdLife volunteers are monitoring beaches and working with other NGOs and the authorities to help in any way they can in the aftermath of this ecological disaster. Oiled birds that can be treated are being taken to recovery centres along the coast", she said. BirdLife International is concerned that a number of bird species could be affected including the critically endangered Balearic Shearwater which moves through this area during migration, the unique local Iberian race of Guillemot, auks from the British and French populations which overwinter in or migrate through the area, as well as several species of shearwater, petrel and gull. An area of coastline that runs 100 km from Cape Finisterre to Malpica appears to be worst hit by the oil slick. This area is particularly important for migratory seabirds. One of seven Important Bird Areas (IBAs) on the Spanish Galician coast is now covered with oil and three more coastal IBAs face a similar fate as oil continues to be washed ashore [5]. So far the spill has affected beaches, sand dunes, rocks, wetlands and coastal lagoons, all of which are important habitats for seabirds, waterfowl and waders. To help prevent further spills BirdLife International advocates that liability be imposed for damage caused to all species and habitats protected under EU and Member State legislation and the rapid phasing-out of single-hulled oil tankers in favour of double-hulled vessels. All EU states that have not ratified the relevant International Maritime Organisation (IMO) conventions also need to do so without delay because, without ratification, they are not enforceable [7]. For more information contact BirdLife International Communications Manager Michael Szabo in Cambridge, UK, on +44 (0)1223 279903 or +44 (0)7779 018 332 (mobile) or SEO/BirdLife Conservation Officer, Carlota Viada in La Coruna, Spain, on +34 629 448822 (mobile). "Unquote For further information about the news release, please refer to BirdLife International website at http://www.birdlife.net/news/pritem_display.cfm?NewRecID=731&NewType=P |
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