Press release PR.C.P003.R002 - 2010-01-19 - No. 004

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The stain was bilge water discharged into the sea by an unidentified vessel, which caused no environmental damage.

Last night a story aired on national television, which reported on a fuel spill in Academy Bay, Puerto Ayora, south of Santa Cruz Island, indicating that it had caused serious environmental damage to the ecosystem, a product of this fact.

In this regard, DGNP clarifies that: at about 5:00 pm yesterday, they received a telephone call, warning of the presence of an oil slick in the bay.

Immediately the staff of this institution went to confirm this information, to determine the gravity and perform mitigation actions, if necessary. It was observed that there was a stain of some type of fuel close to shore, where the Captaincy of Puerto Ayora is also established.

A tour of the boats that were anchored in the bay was made to determine the origin of this spill, but the vessel that caused it was unidentified, it was only determined that it was bilge water (remains of fuel, cooking wastewater, and of various uses, etc..) discharged into the sea by one of the boats, which is strictly prohibited.

The persistent drizzle in the area and being that it was bilge water, not fuel, made the oily film from the stain dilute and a part of it reach the shore, without causing any negative effect on the few animals in the area, especially sally light-foot crabs, and so contingency work was unnecessary.

This morning, DGNP staff monitored the area and found no traces of the bilge water stain, or affected animals.