Thirty-two dolphins have died in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russian-occupied Crimea from southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, after two oil tankers spilled during a storm three weeks ago, animal rights groups say. It was announced on Sunday.
Russia’s Delfailka Rescue and Research Center said the cause of death was “most likely related to the fuel oil spill.”
The center said on the messaging app Telegram that a total of 61 cetacean deaths, including whales and dolphins, have been recorded since the emergency, but the condition of the bodies indicates that 29 other cetaceans died before the spill. announced that it has been suggested. .
“Judging by the condition of their bodies, the majority of these cetaceans most likely died during the first 10 days after the disaster, and the ocean continues to push them up,” the center wrote. , most of the dead dolphins were of the endangered Azov species.
More than 96,000 tons of contaminated soil have been removed by authorities and volunteers along the coastline in the Anapa and Temryuk districts of the Krasnodar region, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Sunday.
The ministry said it was working to clean up after the incident, but “strong winds and waves” had blown oil onto some beaches.
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“More than 68 kilometers of coastline has been purified,” the statement said.
In a further statement on Sunday, the ministry announced that two new oil slicks had been discovered.
One was off the coast of the seaside resort of Anapa and the other in Capsule Bay, according to a statement cited by Russia’s TASS news agency.
The second runway was 2 kilometers long, the news agency said.
Russian authorities say the fuel oil involved in the incident is particularly difficult to clean because it is dense and heavy and does not float on surfaces.
Russian-appointed officials in Moscow-occupied Crimea on Saturday announced a regional state of emergency after oil was detected on the shores of Sevastopol, Crimea’s largest city, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Kerch Strait. did.
The ministry estimated on December 23 that a total of up to 200,000 tonnes of mazut, a heavy, low-quality petroleum product, may have been contaminated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the oil spill an “ecological disaster.”
The Kerch Strait is an important global shipping route that connects the Inland Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.
The area is also a key point in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine since Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine took Moscow to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, accusing Russia of trying to illegally seize control of the region. In 2021, Russia closed the strait for several months.
Mykhailo Podlyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, described last month’s oil spill as a “massive environmental disaster” and called for further sanctions against the Russian tanker.
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In recent years, oil spills have affected marine life. Last year, an oil spill spilled over 34,000 gallons. bayou of south louisiana It is reported that at least 17 aquatic salamanders and three turtles were killed, and three ducks and three crocodiles were covered in oil.
In 2022, large diesel spillI killed thousands of animals near New Orleans. The previous year, Louisiana wildlife officials said they recorded more than just that. 100 birds soaked in oil After crude oil spilled from the refinery and flooded the hurricane ida.
In 2020 at least 38 dolphins died In the aftermath of the accident, he was washed ashore on the island of Mauritius. massive oil spill From a Japanese ship.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
