Mystery glue covers birds washed up on coast

[Still Waters]

Hundreds of guillemots have been washed up on the south coast covered in a mystery gluey substance amid fears thousands of birds will die, including other more rare species.

The birds were found on beaches from Cornwall to Sussex covered in the strange sticky substance.

There are 25,000 guillemots wintering off Dorset alone, as well as razor bills and puffins. The rare grebe and divers are also at threat.

The RSPCA, that is working to rescue the birds, said the substance is not oil or fuel and is proving impossible to remove.

http://www.telegraph...stery-glue.html

[freetoroam]

This is so awful, have been watching it on the news.

its not oil or fuel but somehow think it will still be some man made waste thrown into the sea somewhere.

[Eldorado]

Jimmy Savile strikes from the grave.

Hope they can fix things for the wee birds.

[Urisk]

This has been a really disturbing and distressing turn of events I have to say

They still don't know what it is, but last I heard they figured it was some sort of mineral oil product.

[Still Waters]

An update I've just found -

The substance found on hundreds of seabirds washed up on the south coast is a "mixture of refined mineral oils", the Environment Agency has said.

Wildlife experts have warned many more birds could be affected by the waxy substance found on washed up guillemots.

Hundreds of birds were found on beaches from Sussex to Cornwall on Thursday, many at Portland in Dorset.

The agency said the material was not vegetable, animal or palm oil.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...ngland-21291294

[freetoroam]

He said: "It sounds like - and it's pure speculation - that there's a ship out there somewhere that's flushed its tanks out illegally because it was being either too lazy or couldn't be bothered to pay the fees of having the tanks flushed in a port in the correct way."

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I do hope if they find them, and do not just issue them with a fine. These scum of the Earth humans need to put away for life! God forbid what it will do humans......more cancers??? will anyone admit to that?

Edited February 2, 2013 by freetoroam