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It’s painful, it’s barbaric. It’s downright cruel.
These were the words of Trinidad and Tobago’s President of Wildlife and Environmental Protection Kristopher Rattansingh last week as he advocated for environmental awareness of animals affected by recent tides. black.
On August 7, the Paria Fuel Trading Company discovered a leaking 12-inch crude oil pipeline in the Gulf of Paria that contaminated the waters off Point-Ã -Pierre harbor and covered wildlife and waterfowl.
Since the spill, the environmental protection group has focused its efforts on treating countless oil-coated birds and are now asking the public for help in doing so.
Rattansingh told the Express that the animals found in the contaminated water were suffering from one of the “worst things possible.”
“They are covered in this thick, heavy oil, dying in its toxins, of hunger, of dehydration. What is happening to them … as much as we love to help them, it has to stop. We would much prefer that this never happen to them, and no one has to meet them that way. We have too many oil spills for one country, â€he said.
Rattansingh said the spill had had a devastating effect on “miles and miles” of the Gulf and countless animals had already been lost.
Despite this, he said the group (made up of trained professionals) persisted in offering as much help as they could.
“Some of our volunteers ventured to the shores of the affected areas and picked up the animals. We also partnered with Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) who headed out to the ocean and picked up affected and stranded animals.
“This is done by trained and experienced people and should not be attempted otherwise, for the safety of the person. It should be noted that we are working closely with the Wildlife Section of the Forestry Division during this process, as these animals are protected by law, â€he said.
Rattansingh added that the majority of the birds came from Carli Bay, Orange Valley, Claxton Bay and Chaguaramas.
The time needed to clean each animal, he said, ranges from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the severity of the contamination.
Most of the birds that come to the group are dehydrated and emaciated. However, he said, most of them were successful in their rehabilitation efforts.
“It takes a lot of time and effort to treat animals for these effects and it has to be done slowly and carefully to avoid shock in the animal’s system. Stress is also a big factor in all of this, so whatever we do, including the environment the animals are kept in, we need to take stress into account and reduce it as much as possible. We were able to do this and the animals responded positively to their treatment, â€he said.
Rattansingh called on the companies involved and the government to put in place appropriate policies to avoid future environmental disasters. He said that with the right policy, the country can reduce the frequency and intensity of such spills.
“For example, an efficient and timely deployment of the dam could have reduced the extent and distance of this spill and, therefore, reduced its effect on the environment,” he said.
“Oil spills aren’t just something that happens and can be cleaned up. They affect the ecosystems in which they occur, and sometimes this can completely change those ecosystems. To put it mildly every time this happens, and one environmentalist says we destroy the environment when these disasters happen.
“It’s time we started to take responsibility for these disasters and make changes to prevent them from happening. It’s time to put things right
in place to respond effectively and efficiently to reduce and prevent any environmental issues and effects. More importantly, it’s time we started to hold those responsible to account, â€Rattansingh said.
And the group now needs help in acquiring the following items used in the cleanup process: ??
Johnson & Johnson baby oil (large quantities) ??
Dawn (large quantities) ??
towel rolls ??
Regular Q-tips and big Q-tips ??
degreasers ??
old large towels (clean) ??
folding plastic tables and a large, deep wash sink
In addition, the following medical supplies are required: ??
3 ml syringes ??
5 ml syringes ??
10 ml syringes ??
30 ml syringes ??
18 gauge needles ??
20 gauge needles ??
22 gauge needles ??
18 gauge dispensing needles ??
22 gauge dispensing needles
The group can be reached at 7733956
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