Technical accident happened during the continued navigable canal construction through Bystroe estuary in the Danube reserve. Environmentalists warned about the danger of accidents, but officials were deaf to protests and warnings.
First strong autumn storm at November 10 night turned over German sand sucker platform M-28 belonging to Moebius and threw it onto Ptichya (Ptashinaya) Spit, which is about 700 m away from the Bystroye estuary. The sand sucker silt-sucking pipes were also thrown over the spit – about 1 km 300 m from Bystroe estuary. On November 12 and 13 canal construction workers tried to approach the spit using two barges with excavators. Excavators were deepening the sea bottom, as was very shallow. However, they did not succeed.
On November 16 barges approached the spit for about 80 m and tried to use ropes
to ?et the pipes off the spit.
These works were not agreed with the Danube reserve administration, despite the fact that the works are exceeding the anthropogenic zone borders.
Fortunately, this time no oil or fuel spill happened. However, the whole situation shows how dangerous is this construction for fragile delta ecosystems.
As one may recall, the Ptashinaya (the Bird) spit has already suffered in summer – three bird colonies perished because of the construction nearby. Birds left their nests scared by the construction noise.
The reserve itself is in catastrophic situation – Ministry of Transport of Ukraine heavily lobbies for more changes in the reserve zoning – the Bystroye estuary factual exclusion from the reserve was not enough for the almighty Ministry and their protege Delta-Pilot.
The Transport Prosecutors office raided the reserve and took away all the documents needed for every day work, including fuel procurement and use. Currently there is a problem for rangers to sail out and protect the remaining reserve territory. Different fiscal entities are pressing the reserve, which is almost helpless without its documents.
International Socio-Ecological Union, Ukrainian Coalition for Wild Nature already demanded to stop the rights and law abuse in Ukraine. I international intervention in the situation is urgently needed, or present corrupt bureaucrats and greedy business people will finally destroy the real Danube reserve.
Pictures of pipes on the spit are available.
DETAILS of the COMPANY: [url=http://www.seu.ru/projects/eng/dunay]www.seu.ru/projects/eng/dunay[/url]
Technical accident happened during the continued navigable canal construction through Bystroe estuary in the Danube reserve. Environmentalists warned about the danger of accidents, but officials were deaf to protests and warnings.
First strong autumn storm at November 10 night turned over German sand sucker platform M-28 belonging to Moebius and threw it onto Ptichya (Ptashinaya) Spit, which is about 700 m away from the Bystroye estuary. The sand sucker silt-sucking pipes were also thrown over the spit – about 1 km 300 m from Bystroe estuary. On November 12 and 13 canal construction workers tried to approach the spit using two barges with excavators. Excavators were deepening the sea bottom, as was very shallow. However, they did not succeed.
On November 16 barges approached the spit for about 80 m and tried to use ropes
to get the pipes off the spit.
These works were not agreed with the Danube reserve administration, despite the fact that the works are exceeding the anthropogenic zone borders.
Fortunately, this time no oil or fuel spill happened. However, the whole situation shows how dangerous is this construction for fragile delta ecosystems.
As one may recall, the Ptashinaya (the Bird) spit has already suffered in summer – three bird colonies perished because of the construction nearby. Birds left their nests scared by the construction noise.
The reserve itself is in catastrophic situation – Ministry of Transport of Ukraine heavily lobbies for more changes in the reserve zoning – the Bystroye estuary factual exclusion from the reserve was not enough for the almighty Ministry and their protege Delta-Pilot.
The Transport Prosecutors office raided the reserve and took away all the documents needed for every day work, including fuel procurement and use. Currently there is a problem for rangers to sail out and protect the remaining reserve territory. Different fiscal entities are pressing the reserve, which is almost helpless without its documents.
International Socio-Ecological Union, Ukrainian Coalition for Wild Nature already demanded to stop the rights and law abuse in Ukraine. I international intervention in the situation is urgently needed, or present corrupt bureaucrats and greedy business people will finally destroy the real Danube reserve.
Pictures of pipes on the spit are available.
DETAILS of the COMPANY: [url=http://ww?.seu.ru/projects/eng/dunay]www.seu.ru/projects/eng/dunay[/url]
CONTACTS:
Danube Biosphere Nature Reserve: Director. Alexander Voloshkevich; Ph. fax: (04843) 4-46-19 or 3-11-95; <reserve@odtel.net>
International Socio-ecological Union: Olga Zakharova <seupress@seu.ru>
Prepared by O. Zakharova (International Socio-ecological Union)