Environment still in danger after oil spill
Published 28 April, 2008, 05:23
Months after an oil spill in the Azov Sea last November the full extent of the damage is still unknown. The spill was the result of a storm that killed at least six sailors, sank four ships and split an oil tanker in two.
Around 9,000 fish and more than 30,000 birds have died on the coast since the disaster.
The Volgoneft-139 tanker broke-up in the Kerch Strait separating the Ukrainian and Russian coasts between the Black and the Azov Seas. As a result, 1,200 tonnes of oil were spilt into the sea.
Clean-up workers are still collecting what's left of last year's oil spill. After every storm in the Azov Sea, crews check the shoreline for oil and debris and some oil still has to be disposed of.
The region's unique wildlife has suffered the most. Environmental activists together with local hunters have been trying hard to save rare species. Many volunteers, including students from Krasnodar universities, went to help clean up the coastline.
They say that in November there was a dead bird every square metre along the shore. Now, with most of the oil gone, things are returning to normal.
World Wildlife Foundation activists, though, are cautious in their predictions. They say the oil that sank to the seabed last November is likely to resurface this spring.
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