STATEMENT: SEABIRDS COVERED IN TYPE OF WAXY SUBSTANCE

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is the UK authority that responds to pollution from shipping and offshore installations. The MCA is regularly called upon to react to a wide range of maritime incidents and to develop a comprehensive response procedure to deal with any emergency at sea that causes pollution or threatens to cause pollution.

This occurrence of seabirds being washed up on south coast beaches contaminated with a product is rare. We are working with partner organisations and agencies to deal with this event.

The Environment Agency has taken samples of the product and is currently analysing it to identify it. The RSPCA and RSPB are collecting data and the contaminated birds are being cleaned at the RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Somerset.

We will continue to monitor this situation and await the results of the analysis of the product. We have received no specific reports of pollution within the English Channel area, but we have sent one of our counter pollution surveillance aircraft to investigate the sea areas between Dover and the Isles of Scilly.
 
UPDATE: 18.00 Friday 1st February
 
Results from the sampling by the Environment Agency show the pollutant is a refined mineral based oil mixture, but not from an animal or vegetable origin. This definitely rules out palm oil.
 
Stan Woznicki, the MCA’s Head of Counter Pollution, said:
 
“We have not received any specific reports of pollution within the English Channel area, but today we sent one of our counter pollution surveillance aircraft to investigate. It covered the sea areas between Dover and the Isles of Scilly, but no pollution was detected.
 
“Initial analysis indicates that the contaminant is a refined mineral oil and further analysis results are awaited."
 

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