The Black Sea to be dead for 15 years?

Spots of black oil, leaked as a result of shipwreck of Russian tanker “Volganeft-139” on November 11near coasts of Crimea, have already killed thousands of birds, including those form Red book. According to data of Emergency Ministry of Ukraine, about 1300 tons of oil were spilled into Kerch channel, 6800 tons of sulphur sank.

Because of heavy storm, rescuers cant make special blocking on the way of oil spot. It migrates between Ukrainian and Russian coasts. According to broadcast, the storm will last by the end of the week, so it is difficult to foresee where oil spot will move. Part of oil from “Volganeft-139” has already spilled out in Tuzla. Near the destroyed tanker there is a thick spot of about 900 meters. The second spot stretched in the sea for one kilometer long and 200 meters wide. Tuzla coast is polluted about 100 meters in depth. Spots of oil products are stretched along the whole coast. Coast line along Russian coast, beginning from spit Chushka to the Ilyich village Is also polluted. According the worst forecasts of ecologists, oil will reach coasts of Feodosia, Koktebel, Sudak or will move to the Sea of Azov.

Not to let oil spot in the Sea of Azov, Russian rescuers want to make special dam in Kerch channel. However works in the Sea is complicated by bad weather conditions. Cleaning works are being held only in the coast line now. Rescuers are managed to collect about 200 tons of black oil for two days.

Because of oils spot fish are dying, whole runs of dolphins are killed. Growth of ecology catastrophe is estimated differently. Representatives of Emergency Ministry from Russia say that almost all black oil will be collected and there will be no heavy damages for environment.

Independent experts from Ukraine consider that there is much more tons of black oil spilled into the Sea that it was officially announced (1300 tons).

According to ecologists, the Sea can be cleaned only in some years. “Officially, consequences will be liquidate not for a long time. Rescuer will only collect oil and that’s all. But it is necessary tens of years to restore the balance of the Sea,” Ivana Parnikozy, Kyiv ecologist says. Russian forecasts are more horrible – 15 years are necessary for sea recovery.

Russian tanker “Volganeft-139” did not have right to put to the sea. “Volganeft-139” from which oil was leaked in to the sea and “Volganeft-123” that was shipwrecked did not have sea register, they were non seaworthiness ships. They were both under emergency conditions. Sank ship with 400 tons of sulphur was overloaded.

Owners of ships sank during the storm in Kerch channel consider that the reason of this was in timely announcement of coming storm. But rescuers say that ship wreckages could have been prevented, in case all had reacted to storm alert in time.