GRAY WHALE ALERT!

AUSTRALIAN OIL SPILL HAS MAJOR IMPLICATIONS FOR GRAY WHALE

A massive oil spill, rivaling the Exxon Valdez, has finally been extinguished ten weeks after the oil leak began off the West Coast of Australia in the East Timor Sea.

In the ten weeks, the slick and dispersal agents covered 9,000 square miles. 9 million gallons of oil have spewed out across the ocean.   To put this in perspective, Exxon Valdez disgorged 11 million gallons.  The Montara platform ( as it is known) is close at 9 million gallons.

The site of the oil rig is some 150 miles from the Australian coastline.  It is one of the most pristine ocean environments on the planet, untouched and full of diversity.

The Australian government has been irresponsible in its handling of the spill.    In spite of the ongoing emergency, the Thai company responsible for the leak was granted four more exploration licenses.    Three days ago, the rig caught fire with the potential to burn for months as it tapped into the oil leak.

However the oil leak and fire were finally extinguished two days ago. Experts say it will probably take 7 years for the full impact of the spill to be known.  

When the Australian government became aware that World Wildlife Fund, Australia, intended to charter its own flight out to the spill site, the Environment Minister was forced to hire a scientist, Dr James Watson, to do a quick report on site.   Only five days were allotted to the survey which took place in the middle of the drama.   Here is an excerpt from the report.

• Over five days, the scientists counted 462 cetaceans (including false killer whales and three species of dolphin), 2801 birds (of 23 different species),  62 sea snakes and 25 turtles;

• Many of these species, including birds, cetaceans, sea snakes and turtles, were seen feeding, often in large numbers, in oil-affected water.

• The presence of dying birds and dead sea snakes suggested that there was an immediate risk¹ to species entering oil-affected area.

• Some animals appeared to be attracted to the oil because of the presence of bait fish in it; and

• The oil spill was likely to affect food supply to young birds over a long time period.²

Reports on the media indicate a very high number of sea birds have been affected and are dead or dying.  As dead animals are more likely to sink to the ocean floor, it is unlikely the full extent of the environmental damage
will ever be known.

The Coalition is distributing this quick report because the Gray Whale faces exactly the same risks.   Its primary feeding grounds are covered in oil and gas leases.

See: http://www.californiagraywhalecoalition.org/maps.shtml .  
Scroll down past the GIS maps and you will see a map of the oil and gas leases.   Like the Montara platform which is in the East Timor Sea, the leases in Gray Whale habitat are remote and not easily accessed.   All baleen whales and
marine mammals in Gray Whale habitat would be at risk.

Its important to remember that the Bering Sea provides almost half the US fish supply.    A spill in the Bering Sea of this size would have serious implications not only for the population, but the potential to severely damage the marine ecosystem for years to come cannot be under-estimated.

Australian fishermen say they are finding many dead and dying fish affected by the oil slick.  Fish larvae is being impacted and some commercial fishers say it will be years before the fisheries will recover.  All trophic layers
are impacted.

The dispersal agent used by various authorities is highly toxic, poisoning anything it comes into contact with.  Yet another pollutant which will sink to the ocean floor causing serious potential damage to phytoplankton.

U.S. MEDIA SILENT ON THE SPILL.

U.S. media has been strangely silent on the Aussie spill.   A few days ago, the rig caught fire wth the potential to burn for months to come as it sourced fuel from the oil leak.  The fire was spectacular, spewing even more toxic chemicals into the surrounding ocean.   Nothing in the American media.

Finally, in the last 48 hours, the leak has been plugged.  It was the fifth attempt.   The fire has also been extinguished and now the authorities are attempting to assess the initial damage.

Scientists say it will take 7 years before the full impacts are known.

        RISKS TO GRAY WHALES.

Gray Whales are particularly vulnerable to seismic exploration.  Research has documented migratory changes when exposed to certain levels of noise. Any spill would be particularly problematic for Gray Whales as their primary
prey is amphipods which form an important part of the benthic ecosystem.

Oil and toxic dispersal sinking to the ocean floor would severely impact the benthic ecosystem as well as zooplankton, phytoplankton, fish and many other
marine mammals and animals.

It's vitally important that Coalition members lobby against offshore drillling and seismic exploration permits along the Gray Whales migration route.

Please circulate this information to any interested parties.

(All images in this article derived from Applied Ecology Solutions Pty. Ltd. Report - "Biodiversity Survey of the Montara Field Oil Leak")