Three Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) have been taken into care on Gran Canaria as part of the response to an oil spill from a sunken Russian trawler. Experts are continuing to patrol the area looking for more oil-impacted wildlife.
Cory's shearwaters begin breeding in April on the small, uninhabited islands of the Canary Island chain. Adults travel to and from the colony to feed, primarily on squid, in nearby waters. The species is listed as Vulnerable in Spain as their numbers have been declining in the Canary Islands, where approximately 15% o f the global population breeds. They range throughout the Atlantic during the rest of the year.
Other wildlife potentially at risk in this area include several other seabird species- shearwaters (two more species), petrels, storm-petrels and gulls, bottlenose dolphins and five species of marine turtles-green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead and Kemp’s Ridley. While none of the sea turtles are known to nest on the Canaries, the waters near the islands are important feeding grounds.
The trawler Oleg Neydenov, carrying 1,500 tons of fuel oil, was towed offshore after catching fire while in port in Las Palmas. It then sank 15 miles offshore on 15 April 2015. There has been criticism of the decision to tow the trawler out to sea, a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of fire spreading to other vessels, as this increases the difficulty of containing any oil that spills. And in this case, rough weather has restricted response efforts, preventing plugging of the leak and removal of the remaining oil.
Resources:
Spain locates sunken Russian trawler off Canaries.Yahoo!News. Accessed online 14 April 2014