Patagonia January 2008 Oil Spill Summary

Fundación Patagonia Natural (FPN) asked the IFAW Team to help manage the wildlife response.  IFAW ER team members assumed supervisory roles within the wildlife response to ensure proper care was provided, as grebes and steamer ducks are especially sensitive to captivity.  Oil clean-up was handled by the Argentine navy and by 4 January there was no more floating oil and most of the beaches had been cleaned.

The Argentine Government supported the development of a wildlife response facility, as well as providing supplies and equipment needed to care for animals.  In addition to the two FPN staff and the IFAW ER Team, there were approximately 100 volunteers under their direction, assisting with the rescue effort.  The birds were held in a temporary facility until the wildlife facility acquired by the Argentine government was ready and then moved across to begin the washing process, moving through the system towards release.

More help was needed during the facility set-up phase, which runs concurrently to providing care to the animals during any response.  After two long and difficult days of travel, the new team members arrived (minus their luggage) on Friday 11 January to assist.

By January 23, most of the birds had been washed, many had already been successfully released, and the first team members were demobilized.

Over the weekend of 8 February, a total of 70 birds were released leaving only 94 penguins in-house.  33 more found their freedom on 11 February.

After over a month on the ground, the last of the IFAW team members finally left on 9 February, leaving FPN staff, Carla Poleschi and Julián Andrejuk, to care for and release the remaining birds. The temporary facilities were disassembled with the remaining birds needing intensive care moved to Puerto Madryn.

Total number of birds treated: 642
Total birds deceased/euthanized: 324
Total birds released: 256
Total birds live in care as at 11 February: 62

During the response, team leaders Jay Holcomb and Valeria Ruoppolo were able to meet with the Fundación Patagonia Natural (FPN) to discuss contingency planning in the region.  This region has seen catastrophic, as well as chronic, oiling for years and is also seeing the impact on the large penguin colonies of the region.  The FPN Director and staff were very encouraged and anxious to further the relationship between FPN and IFAW as we work together to develop a multi-organizational oiled wildlife contingency plan for the Coast of Argentina.  This is an incredible opportunity to provide comprehensive plan to save large numbers of marine birds, penguins, as well as other birds and marine mammals in one of the most vulnerable and unique marine systems in the world.

Acknowledgements for all their support to the IFAW team while on the ground go to Fundación Patagonia Natural, staff from Dirección de Fauna de la Província del Chubut (Provincial Wildlife Services) the Municipality of Comodoro Rivadavia, under direction of the mayor Mr. Martin Buzzi, and the rangers from Consejo Agrário Provincial de Santa Cruz and SOS Marino.