Sydney oil spill will significantly affect wildlife, say anglers
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Version 0 of 1. Recreational fishers have warned of a significant impact upon fish and bird life in Botany bay after an oil spill in the area. The spill originated from Caltex’s Kurnell refinery, with the company blaming heavy rain for causing a containment area to overflow. Caltex said the oil spill was small, with the Sydney Ports Corporation confirming that it had been fully contained with booms. But anglers said they were concerned that birds and fish would have died as a result of the spill. Malcolm Poole, chairman of the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW, said anglers were “greatly concerned” by the oil spill and took photos of the scene. Poole said that following the spill on Monday night there was not “any sign of any action overnight” from authorities. “When will the oil spill generate a serious combined response to clean up the mess in the bay, investigate the occurrence and cause – and then appropriately fining those responsible to the full extent of the laws, and then making sure it will not happen again in the future?” he said. A Caltex spokeswoman said that the company had “contained and dispersed” the oil and conducted an inspection on Tuesday morning. “No odour or sheen was detected and all appears to now be clear,” she said. “Booms will remain in place on the south side of the bay for at least another tide change as a precaution only.” Sydney Ports Corporation, which assisted Caltex with the cleanup, said the spill should not cause major damage to Botany bay wildlife. “The spill itself is quite minor. There was a sheen and blobs of noticeable oil but by this morning, there were barely any discernable areas of oil and the booms had done their job,” he told Guardian Australia. “There was no impact upon the mangroves or the shoreline. “It’s been fully contained. We have asked the Environmental Protection Authority to sit down with Caltex and talk about what happened.” The NSW EPA said it was investigating the spill. |