WATCH: CROW and Coastwatch explain how you can help after the uMbilo River oil spill
Spare a thought for the animals, birds and other water creatures who will be harmed by the hundreds of litres of crude oil recently spilled into the already polluted uMbilo River.
THE massive oil spill, which has caused the uMbilo river to turn black, is sure to have a dramatic impact on wildlife.
This is according to a member of the uMbilo River Watch group which has, for months, been fighting against what it considers the ‘Ecocide’ of the river which runs through large parts of Durban.
Sandra Streak, an active member of the group, said the damage not only affects the infrastructure, water and the greater environment, but also the fauna which live in the river and sea.
She suggested residents contact organisations like the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) and Coastwatch to find out how to help the wildlife.
ALSO READ: VIDEO: Massive oil spill pollutes uMbilo River along Bellair Road
Smells
An expert on the effects of air pollution said, even for the animals who are not directly in contact with the crude oil, the damage would be devastating.
“For birds or animals, who have a finer sense of smell than us as humans, being exposed to this smell can have a very bad effect on their health,” said Bongani Mthembu, a specialist in air pollution for South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA).
Coastwatch
“Spill Tech and the KZN Dept of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs are at the scene, working around the clock but despite hundreds of booms, the oil has reached the Durban Harbour and the Bayhead Mangroves,” said Christopher Wright chairman of NGO, Coastwatch.
ALSO READ: VIDEO: Criminal case being investigated over oil spill in uMbilo River
“The Bayhead Natural Heritage Site protects some of the last remaining, and most accessible, estuarine tidal flats in Durban Bay. These sandbanks provide vital feeding areas for waders and the mangroves are an essential ecosystem for around 120 species of aquatic birds,” said Wright.
Coastwatch.org.za is a registered NGO which has the mandate of “working to achieve the long-term protection of the KZN coast.
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“This is going to have a huge impact on all the marine life and also for the beaches on the coastlines,” said Wright.
Help
“We are currently going into hatching season so have a wish list on our Facebook page for items we need donations of and many of them are also the same sorts of things we will need to help us deal with animals who have been overwhelmed by the crude oil in their riverine environment,” said Halkett-Siddal.
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