How Conflict Makes Oil Spills In The Black Sea So Much More Toxic

(MENAFN- The Conversation) Two old Russian tankers, carrying thousands of tonnes of oil, have been severely damaged in a storm in the Kerch Strait .

The Volgoneft-212 tanker split in half after being hit by a large wave . video footage shows the bow visible in the water and black oil surrounding the destruction. The second tanker, Volgoneft-239 , then drifted into the same area shortly afterwards due to storm damage.

The Kerch Strait has served as a crucial logistical and transport hub for Russia since the second world war . In 2023, Ukraine attacked the Kerch Strait bridge , forcing Russia to rely on land routes to supply frontlines.

On December 16, Ukraine accused Moscow of breaking navigation safety rules by keeping the vessels at sea in such extreme weather and using old tankers. Reported by Tass , a Russian state-owned news agency, the two boats carried up to 9,200 tonnes of oil. According to satellite data , around 3,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil has leaked into the Black Sea.

Marine oil spills are one of the most concerning sources of water pollution, destroying entire ocean habitats and the animals, plants and microbes living there.

When oil is mixed with water, the heavy components sink towards the seabed, leaving a thick residue on the water's surface. The waves further mix the oil and water, which is increased in stormy weather. The oil can be contained in multiple ways – by using temporary floating barriers, burning the oil, using chemicals to disperse the oil or using boats to remove the oil from the surface.

Without containing the oil, it spreads further. By the morning of December 17, oil had already washed up on southern Russia's Black Sea coast .

The thick oil slick on the water's surface endangers the growth and development of marine life, both at sea and along the coastline. For example, oil sticks to a bird's feathers, causing them to mat and separate, impairing the waterproofing of the feathers.

When birds preen their oil-covered feathers, they ingest the oil. Residents along the shores of the Kerch Strait in the Russian village of Volna have reported that oil-covered birds can no longer fly and have been forced to seek safety on the beaches.

A similar incident occurred in this region in 2007 when about 1,300 tonnes of oil was spilt. Russia and Ukraine did not ask for international assistance to tackle the spills. However, in 2007 many international organisations helped with wildlife rescue efforts and on-coast cleaning operations, with more than 500 volunteers getting involved.

This week, more than 4,000 volunteers are cleaning a 30-mile stretch of shoreline near Anapa as the oil spill has not been contained.

Coordinated international efforts and vast resources are needed to restrict the oil spill and limit environmental damage. However, because of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it is still unknown whether international efforts will be conducted in the Russian-occupied area. And Ukraine cannot perform another clean-up operation like the one in 2007. The total costs from clean up operations, wildlife loss, loss of trade and tourism of the 2007 oil spill was estimated by the UN Environment Programme to be at least US$25 million (£20 million).

The environmental damage and loss of biodiversity are the hidden costs of conflict. Despite international clean-up efforts, 30,000 birds and countless fish died in the 2007 oil spill. There is no international effort to clean up the current spill, so the environmental effects could be much worse in the coming days.

Since 1992, the Black Sea has been monitored for pollution, restoration, protecting marine resources and subject to international environmental law under the Bucharest convention . However, environmental catastrophes continue in this area, not stopping with the conflict. This area affects many bordering countries, but the lasting ecological damage affects us all.

Regulators, conservation charities and environmental activists should monitor oil and gas activities and find areas where such business operations should be banned. Oil and gas firms should have updated emergency plans, and legal entities should run regular audits of these operations. The UN's latest climate summit called for the urgent phasing out of fossil fuels. This environmental disaster need to accelerate the green energy transition and no longer take the environment for granted.

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