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."