Contacts
Diana Weaver 413/253-8329
The April 27 Buzzards Bay oil spill came at a bad time for coastal birds and other wildlife, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Acting Regional Director Richard O. Bennett, Ph.D.
Between 30 and 50 pairs of piping plovers, protected as threatened by the Endangered Species Act, typically begin nesting in May in the Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, area, Bennett said. Endangered roseate terns also nest on islands in the bay.
"Service staff at the spill have seen several dead birds, some heavily oiled birds including plovers, and some with a small amount of oil on them," Bennett said. "Even a small amount of oil on their feathers or feet can be fatal to birds."
Nearly all of the beaches in Buzzards Bay where piping plovers nest and feed have been oiled, Bennett said. The highest concentration of piping plovers each year nest at Barney’s Joy Beach in Buzzards Bay, and that beach appears to be one of the hardest hit by the spill.
Terns may be oiled on beaches or when they dive into oily water while feeding. Both Bird and Ram islands in Buzzards Bay host mixed tern colonies that include common terns and endangered roseate terns. Least terns also nest on Ram Island. The Service is also concerned about other nesting birds on Weepecket Island.
Common loons winter in Buzzards Bay, and they are the majority of oiled, dead birds that have been collected. Loons spend almost all of their time on the water, diving to catch fish. They are beginning their migration to northern New England where they nest.
Scoters, mergansers and eiders are some of the other bird species that have been oiled. More fish and wildlife species will be entering the area as spring progresses, and they also may be affected by the oil. For a list of fish and wildlife currently at risk and other information see http://northeast.fws.gov/oilspill.html .
The Service responds, along with other federal agencies, to oil spills when federally protected species or habitat may be damaged by the spill. Service biologists work with the response agencies to identify important natural resource areas. Some biologists assist with recovering oiled migratory birds, while others survey the spill’s effect on wildlife habitat. Service law enforcement special agents help investigate potential criminal acts and assist with crowd control.
While the spill response is still under way, other Service biologists begin the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration process. NRDAR measures the harm caused by oil to natural resources, such as birds and endangered species. This information helps determine an appropriate compensation level. Compensation can include natural resource restoration projects like enhancing bird nesting habitat.
The Service has been working with the impact of hazardous substances on fish and wildlife and their habitats for more than 50 years. The environmental contaminants program is the only federal program dedicated to identifying and preventing harmful contaminant effects on fish and wildlife.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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