CCWA

The sinking of a bulk carrier off Christmas Island on Monday will put even more pressure on a delicate ecosystem that is already under immense strain, according to Western Australia's peak environmental group.

Conservation Council of WA Environmental Science and Policy Coordinator Dr Nic Dunlop said, "It is difficult to imagine a more sensitive place and time for something like this to happen."

"Only a small amount of oil would have been enough to devastate the local environment. In this case the ship has literally split in half, dumping most of its fuel load into the bay. It's hard to overestimate how damaging this will be for local fauna.

The MV Tycoon broke apart on the rocks, eventually dumping tonnes of fuel oil, diesel and its cargo of phosphate dust into the ocean. With no ships large enough to tow it off the rocks available and no way to prevent the spill from spreading, the situation is impossible to manage.

Dr Dunlop, who lived on the island for several years and still works as an ecological guide, said, "On Monday night, just hours after the ship went down, we received reports that the first groups of baby Christmas Island Red Crabs were already coming back to shore, where they will be exposed to a toxic mix of diesel and fuel oil.

"Every year the adult crabs, which are unique to the island, take part in a huge migration to the shore, what David Attenborough called one of the planet's 'greatest wildlife spectacles.' This year their efforts on the north coast may have been wasted if most of the new generation is killed by the toxic slick.

"The crabs are already under threat from the introduced Yellow Crazy Ant, which has killed up to a third of the red crab population. This oil spill will not assist in their recovery.

"It's also peak season for whale sharks, which come to feed on the oceanic crab larvae. Plus, the area is home to a number of rare bird species, including the Abbott's Booby which breeds nowhere else in the world.

"Right now our first priority has to be cleaning up the spill and limiting the damage to the local environment. However, eventually some very tough questions need to be asked about why port authorities allowed this ship to be left on its moorings at the loading dock when heavy swell was forecast.

"Any inquiry that only looks at the condition of the ship without investigating the port authority won't be good enough. Four-metre swell is hardly unusual in the area and, as we've seen, is more than enough to tear apart a ship like the Tycoon. There's no doubt that this is a man-made catastrophe but, as usual, it's the environment that is paying the price."