Oil booms fail to save Durban harbour wildlife

This despite Transnet National Ports Authority containing oil that spilled through canals from Africa Sun Oils factory to the harbour on Friday.

Port manager, Moshe Motlohi confirmed booms were put in place to try contain the spill, but due to high tides, it went beyond their boundaries. Additional booms and bio-absorbing agents were positioned to contain the oil in the area of the harbour, near the Bluff Yacht Club, Southlands Sun reported.

The yacht club’s commodore, Andrew Murray, said the spill caused severe damage to the 68 yachts at the club, and shrimp were seen at the surface of the water, trying to get air, while other dead fish and birds were reported.

Meanwhile, the Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) responded to the call of birds in distress over the weekend.

“We rescued a Cape gannet and three Egyptian geese goslings from the Bluff Yacht Club that were covered in oil. Sadly, none of them pulled through,” spokesperson Paul Hoyte said.

Hoyte added Crow would like stricter measures put into place to avoid a repeat of the oil spill.

“Oil has a detrimental effect on marine life and sea birds that in many cases leads to fatality,” said Hoyte.

Residents have also accused the eThekwini Municipality of not doing enough to maintain the allegedly faulty weirs in the canals leading to the harbour. However, the municipality said the panels had been removed from the weir due to a stormwater construction contract just upstream of the weir.

“This is a very necessary temporary measure, which will remain in its present [free flow] condition for another four months. Obviously we are very disappointed that the weir was not able to serve its purpose during last week’s tragic incident,” the municipality’s manager of stormwater design, Greg Williams said.

– Caxton News Service