Hi folks,

Don't know if anyone's been following this story - shipwreck in South Africa - oil spill - thousands of birds in a colony in jeopardy.

Hope it doesn't happen here.... Oh, yeah... it already has. Might again...

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 17:09:07 SAST-2
From: John Cooper <jcooper at botzoo.uct.ac.za>
To: seabird at uct.ac.za
Subject: [SEABIRD] Oiled penguins in South Africa

PRESS RELEASE, 29 JUNE 2000

RESCUE OF SEABIRDS IN WESTERN CAPE

Treasure sank in the early hours of 23 June 2000. Oil washed ashore
on Robben Island on 25 June and surrounded Dassen Island on 28
June. Dassen Island supports the largest breeding colony of African
Penguins, a species classified as Vulnerable because of a massive
decrease in numbers during the 20th century. Robben Island supports
the third largest colony of this species. Between them, the two
islands support about 21000 breeding pairs, in excess of 50000 adults
and 40% of the world population of the species.

It is peak breeding season for African Penguins off western South
Africa, and it is estimated that perhaps 20000 chicks are being
brooded or fed at these two localities.

On 28 June, oil was moving northwards, threatening colonies in the
vicinity of Saldanha. About 60 oiled birds have already been reported
from Jutten Island in West Coast National Park. Staff of Marine and
Coastal Management (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism)
will be inspecting Vondeling Island on 29 June 2000, to assess the
situation there and collect any penguins that are oiled.

The largest previous oiling of penguins in South Africa was in June
1994 when the Apollo Sea sank between Dassen and Robben islands. About 10000 penguins were oiled, of which about 5000 were
successfully returned to the wild.

Other seabirds are also affected by the present oil spill, including
three species of cormorant that are endemic to southern Africa. The
world populations of Crowned Cormorant and Bank Cormorant number
just 3000 and 5000 breeding pairs respectively. Cape Cormorant is
more plentiful. Robben Island supports South Africa's third largest
colony of Bank Cormorant, about 120 breeding pairs.

A national committee, chaired by Mr Horst Kleinschmidt, Deputy
Director-General in Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism,
and including representation from Cape Nature Conservation, South
African National Parks, Robben Island Museum, South African Defence
Force, Southern African National Foundation for the Conservation of
Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) and University of Cape Town, has been set up
to manage the crisis facing the seabirds. The Minister of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism is being regularly briefed on
developments.

As the care and treatment of oiled seabirds is enormously time
consuming, it has been decided to remove as many penguins as possible
from the vicinity of the oil to an un-oiled environment. Not only is
oil ashore at Dassen and Robben islands, but oil is also present in
the feeding grounds of penguins from these two islands. Therefore,
attempts are being made to catch un-oiled penguins and to transport
them to Algoa Bay in Eastern Cape. During the night of 27 June, 157
clean penguins were trucked to Cape Recife. All arrived alive. Of
these, 143 were returned to the wild and 14 were retained by staff of
Bayworld, Port Elizabeth, who are supervising release of penguins in
Algoa Bay, for cleaning of light spots of oil. A further 160 are
awaiting transportation. Additionally, 4500 un-oiled penguins are
being held at Dassen Island, awaiting transport from the island. It is
planned to try to fence most of the penguin breeding areas at Dassen
Island to keep many more un-oiled birds from leaving for sea.

The large-scale translocation of penguins to an alternative site is an
experimental process necessitated by the very large numbers of birds
at risk. It is vitally important to monitor the subsequent survival
and movements of these birds. Avian Demography Unit at University of
Cape Town is co-ordinating the banding of a large number of penguins
to be translocated to Algoa Bay.

African Penguins are known to have a strong homing instinct, but it is
considered essential by government, conservation authorities and
SANCCOB to monitor whether birds return from Algoa Bay to Western Cape
and, if so, the rate at which they do this so that the period they are
outside the area affected by oil may be ascertained. On 27 June, World
Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), South Africa, secured sponsorship from a
corporate donor to track via satellite the movements of three penguins
to be released in Algoa Bay. The three instruments to be attached to
the penguins have a value of R 60000. The corporate donor is SAP
Africa, a leading company in C-commerce and inter-enterprise software.
Its managing director, Mr George Ortel approved the donation on
request and said he was "only too happy that SAP Africa could make an
immediate contribution towards validating this innovative conservation
intervention".

Although many penguins will be translocated to Algoa Bay, more than
10000 oiled penguins had already been collected by 28 June, mostly
from Robben Island but including 600 from Dassen Island. Of these only
40 had died. It is possible that the number of oiled birds being held
in captivity may soon rise to 20-25000, placing their care well beyond
the capacity of expertise available in South Africa. International
Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has already flown experts to South
Africa to assist with the care and rehabilitation of oiled penguins,
and aquaria from northern hemisphere countries are also to supply
experts. Additionally, South Africa is to approach Australia, which is
known to have successfully rehabilitated oiled penguins, for
assistance with the care of oiled penguins. The Birdlife International
Seabird Conservation Programme has been approached to ascertain which
other countries have experts in the care and rehabilitation of oiled
seabirds.

Many oiled penguins still remain at Robben Island in dense bush,
making their capture difficult. Their condition is deteriorating and
it is expected that unless they are caught soon most will die.

SANCCOB is organising the treatment and care of captive birds, and the
transport of birds to Algoa Bay. The entire rescue operation is
dependent on this organisation. Contrary to reports appearing in the
press, SANCCOB had not received any financial support from the
insurers of Treasure by the time banks closed on 28 June. Therefore,
at present the SANCCOB operation is being funded entirely by donations
received.

Cape Nature Conservation is co-ordinating the capture of penguins at
Dassen Island. The Minister of Defence has been approached to provide
sea and air support for evacuation of penguins from Dassen Island and
the translocation of unoiled penguins to Algoa Bay, as well as
personnel to assist at rehabilitation centres and elsewhere as deemed
necessary. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has
issued a special permit for the capture of 5 t sardine (pilchard) for
feeding penguins that are at present being held in captivity.

Absorbent fibres have been placed at localities where penguins land at
Robben Island and have been successful in cleaning these places to
such an extent that some penguins are now coming ashore at Robben
Island in an unoiled state. Attempts will similarly be made to clean
landing stages at Dassen Island.

A few oiled cormorants have been collected, and chicks of Bank
Cormorants were removed from Robben Island on 26 June for artificial
rearing. Chicks of penguins were being collected at Robben Island for
artificial rearing on 27 June 2000. Rescue centres for chicks are
being established on the west coast by Mr and Mrs MacDonald and Mr and
Mrs Campbell.

A satellite centre for oiled penguins has been set up at Salt River.
An additional centre may be established in Saldanha. A holding centre
for clean penguins, prior to their transportation to Algoa Bay, has
been established at the aquarium facilities of Marine and Coastal
Management in Sea Point.
__________________________________________________________

John Cooper
Coordinator

BirdLife International Seabird Conservation Programme

based at the
Avian Demography Unit
Department of Statistical Sciences
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch 7700
South Africa

jcooper at botzoo.uct.ac.za

Website: http://www.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/seabirds

Office Phone: +27-21-650-3426
Office Fax: +27-21-650-3434
Home Phone: +27-21-685-1357 (answering machine)

Support the "Save the Albatross Campaign: Keeping Seabirds off
the Hook" of BirdLife International
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