Toll rises as sea life feed at oil spill

Posted in November 2009

Large numbers of whales, dolphins, turtles and sea birds are feeding in waters polluted by the massive oil spill off the West Australian coast and are likely to be at ''immediate risk'', a new report released by the federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, reveals.

A leading ecologist, James Watson, was commissioned by Mr Garrett's department to spend days surveying the marine life in the waters surrounding the oil lease - owned by the Thai company PTTEP - which has been leaking in the Timor Sea for nine weeks. Dr Watson's report says ''the presence of dying birds and dead sea snakes suggest that there is an immediate risk to species utilising the water that has been affected by the oil slick'.

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/toll-rises-as-sea-life-feed-at-oil-spill-20091031-hq6q.html

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