Dozens of dolphins die due to Kerch Strait fuel oil pollution
More than 30 dolphins died due to the sinking of tankers in the Kerch Strait (photo: Getty Images)
More than 30 dolphins died in the Kerch Strait. The reason is a fuel oil spill that resulted from the sinking of Russian tankers, Delfacenter reports.
Yesterday, a state of emergency was introduced in occupied Sevastopol. According to the Delfa Dolphin Rescue Center, 61 dead cetaceans have been recorded in the region since the emergency.
“Of these, 32 died after December 15, most likely due to the fuel oil spill. The rest died before the emergency - very old bodies,” the center noted.
According to scientists, most of the cetaceans died in the first 10 days after the disaster.
“Judging by the condition of the bodies, most likely, most of these cetaceans died in the first 10 days after the disaster. And now they continue to be carried away by the sea. Most of the victims were azovkas (Phocoena phocoena relicta - ed.), which have always been the most vulnerable cetaceans,” the experts added.
Tanker accident in the Black Sea
On December 15, two Russian tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, were damaged in the Kerch Strait by a severe storm.
A few days later, another tanker was involved in an accident near the Kavkaz port in the Black Sea. It became known about the leakage of fuel oil into the Black Sea and the pollution of the Krasnodar region coast.
It is noted that the tanker accident in the Kerch Strait caused significant environmental consequences. Moreover, there are reports that fuel oil may reach the Sea of Azov.
Read more about the accident with the Russian tankers near Crimea and whether there are any threats to Ukraine in the RBC-Ukraine article.
It should be noted that two new areas of oil pollution have recently been discovered in Crimea.
