The Black Sea after the attacks: new consequences for the protected coastline
9 February 21:36
On the coast of the Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park in the Odessa region, environmentalists have recorded oil pollution of a sandbar covering an area of up to 10,000 square meters.
This was reported by Ivan Rusev, an employee of the national park and an ecologist, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
The pollution was discovered on February 8 after a storm that brought oily stains to the shore in various places along the coast.
Related consequences
In addition to traces of oil, the sea washed thousands of crabs of four species ashore. Ecologists attribute this to a sharp change in conditions in the coastal zone after the storm and possible water pollution.
This is not an isolated case
This is not the first sign of environmental problems on the Odessa coast. Earlier, oily stains were recorded in the Black Sea after Russian attacks on port infrastructure, which resulted in a sunflower oil spill.
According to environmentalists, the previous slick stretched 55 km along the coast, resulting in the death of more than 1,000 birds. Dozens of affected animals were taken to rehabilitation centers.
Large quantities of cooking oil are dangerous for marine ecosystems
Even cooking oil in large quantities is dangerous for marine ecosystems: it disrupts gas exchange in the water, harms birds and invertebrates, and has a long-term impact on coastal nature reserves.
Environmentalists emphasize that the storm only revealed the problem, while the pollution may have been in the sea earlier.
What is known about Russian shelling of port infrastructure
On January 15, Russia launched a ballistic strike on the port infrastructure of Chornomorsk in the Odesa region. The pier, near which a civilian ship flying the Maltese flag was located, came under fire. As a result of the attack, one of the crew members was injured, and an oil spill was also reported.
It should be recalled that after the Russian strikes on Odesa region, which damaged warehouses, oil tanks, and vehicles, fears of a possible shortage or sharp rise in sunflower oil prices in Ukraine resurfaced in the public sphere. However, experts assess the impact of these losses on the domestic market as limited.
Economist Andriy Novak, in a comment to Komersant Ukrainian, stressed that the consequences of the attacks are felt primarily by specific companies that have lost their products.
According to him, the Ukrainian food market, particularly the oil market, is oversaturated, and the loss of even several thousand tons is not critical on a national scale.
Economist Oleg Pendzin, in a comment to Kommersant Ukrainian, drew attention to the structural indicators of the market.
“Do you know how much oil Ukraine produces per year? Five million tons. And do you know how much the domestic market consumes per year? Five hundred thousand tons. Ninety percent of what we produce is exported. Do you think such conditions could lead to a shortage? Hardly.”
Thus, even damage to infrastructure does not create a risk of oil shortages for Ukrainian consumers.
