Shock and anger at seabird death toll


The tragic sight of hundreds of dead and suffering sea birds being washed ashore along South East Cornwall’s coastline recently, has caused shock and anger.


The carnage was due to a substance discharged at sea known as PIB (polyisobutylene).


And as the tragedy escalated, there was disturbing news that other forms of marine life had being affected. Seaton and Downderry beaches were strewn with hundreds of dead cuttlefish.


Abby Crosby, marine conservation officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said the cuttlefish deaths are definitely linked to the same PIB pollution incident which has affected the seabirds, and there were reports of other species being found such as dogfish.


She said: ‘It’s tragic. There is a big cuttlefish fishery in this area, which is important for local fishermen. This discovery could potentially mean that a whole reproductive generation has been wiped out, just like the seabirds have been.’


From the Rame Peninsula, along the coast at Whitsand Bay, to Seaton and


by VIV TWORNICKI and KERENZA MOORE Cornish Times


Downderry, and to Plaidy, Looe, Talland Bay and Polperro, volunteers from The Rame Peninsula Beach Care Group, Looe Marine Conservation Group, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Murrayton Monkey Sanctuary, and the local communities, helped workers from the RSPCA in their task to rescue as many live birds as possible.


Sadly many of the dead birds were ringed, indicating they had been survivors of the similar incident in January which affected parts of the Westcountry coastline.


The birds were mainly guillemots, gannets, cormorants, gulls and even puffins. They were washed ashore covered in a sticky white glue like substance.


At Seaton, one of the worst affected areas, local resident Bonnie Parker, who lives above the beach, said: ‘Each day the dead birds were cleared away, but every morning when I looked down on to the beach, there seemed to be hundreds more.


Rescued guillemot from recent tragedy along South East Cornwall’s coastline


They looked like a line of white boulders. It was absolutely heartbreaking.’


CORMAC workers bagged up the dead birds on the beaches each day, while at Looe the task fell to the staff of East Looe Town Trust.


Local volunteers have joined other Cornish conservation groups in calling for an urgent change in the law to make the discharging of PIB into the sea illegal.


Currently, the chemical, although known to be hazardous to the marine environment, can be discharged directly into the sea from 12 miles offshore.


For Looe Marine Conservation Group, chairman Heather Buttivant said: ‘Something must be done to prevent


ships from treating our seas as a dustbin. Keeping the sea clean isn’t just important for wildlife. It’s about our food, tourism and livelihoods.’


MP Sheryll Murray has received a letter from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirming they are taking action about the carriage of PIB. It stated: ‘Any lessons learned from this incident will be fed into the UK approach to international negotiations on the carriage of chemical cargo.’


Mrs Murray said: ‘This is a very positive response and demonstrates that ministers are taking this tragic incident seriously.’


You can sign an online petition asking to outlaw the dumping of PIB at sea, at ww.avaaz.org


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