A spill of more than 2 metric tonnes of either bunker fuel or raw crude oil reported on Wednesday 8 April, 2015 is considered 80% contained as of Friday afternoon with few reports of impacts on wildlife in the region. As of 16 April, at least thirty oiled birds have been rescued and are being stabilised for cleaning.
The Oiled Wildlife Society of BC, along with Focus Wildlife, is handling oiled bird response, while the Vancouver Aquarium is monitoring for impacts on marine mammals and fish. The public is being asked not to approach affected wildlife but to report any sightings to the City of Vancouver. M/V Marathassa, the vessel originally suspected of being the source of the oil, has been confirmed as the spiller and will be expected to pay cleanup costs per Canada's 'spiller pays' legislation.
Staff from the Vancouver Aquarium is monitoring the area for oiled wildlife but at this time only a couple of unconfirmed reports have mentioned oiled birds. The birds returned to the water before they could be captured. Twenty-five species of fish, marine mammals and seabirds in the area may be at risk from this incident.
Oil has washed ashore on beaches and the public is being asked to stay clear of the water. The source of the spill has not been officially confirmed but since booms were placed around a grain ship, the M/V Marathassa, no additional oil has been found.
Western Canada Marine Response Corporation is handling the cleanup, under the direction of the Western Region Canadian Coast Guard. Work is now focused on the beaches of West Vancouver as the majority of the oil on the water has been removed and a slick has come ashore at Sandy Cove.
Oiledwildife.eu will continue to monitor the incident and update on wildlife impacts as information becomes available.
Resources:
National Post. Toxic bunker fuel spill spreads over Vancouver’s English Bay; one tonne of oil recovered by clean-up crews. Accessed online 9 April 2015
CBC News. Vancouver oil spill: Part of Stanley Park seawall, English Bay closed for cleanup. Accessed online 12 April 2015
Vancouver Sun. Owners of ship that spilled oil in English Bay likely to be charged for cleanup. Accessed online 12 April 2015