Bulk carrier sinks at Christmas Island

[Jim Goose]

Well it seems we have another environmental disaster occur, this time at christmas island....


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-1...-booby/3767576

Oily disaster puts pressure on abbott's booby
By Gemma Breen and staff

Updated January 11, 2012 16:12:29

The whale shark, the red crab and a seabird called abbott's booby are just some of the vulnerable or protected species which are under threat after a bulk carrier sunk off Christmas Island on Monday.

The Panamanian-flagged MV Tycoon split in two and is now sitting on the seabed in Flying Fish Cove after breaking its moorings on Saturday and smashing into rocks.

Teams of volunteers are continuing to work around the clock to clean up tonnes of oil leaking from the cargo ship, which was also carrying phosphate.

Experts fear that most of the 105 tonnes of heavy fuel on board has leaked into the sea.

A 60-metre stretch of beach has already been badly affected, with sand and animals covered in oil.

Environmental scientist Dr Nic Dunlop, who works with the Conservation Council of Western Australia and lived on Christmas Island for several years, says the timing is terrible.

"It is difficult to imagine a more sensitive place and time for something like this to happen," he said.

"Only a small amount of oil would have been enough to devastate the local environment. In this case the ship has literally split in half, dumping most of its fuel load into the bay. It's hard to overestimate how damaging this will be for local fauna."

He says the red crabs - described by David Attenborough as one of the world's "greatest wildlife spectacles" - are currently returning to shore on Christmas Island and the new generation may be wiped out by the oil slick.

"It's also peak season for whale sharks. Plus, the area is home to a number of rare bird species, including the abbott's booby, which breeds nowhere else in the world," he said.

Flying Fish Cove is expected to be the area most impacted by the oil spill, with particular concern for the north coast coral reef and the land crab settlement.