Longer term effects of the foreseen

1987/08/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

Oil spills at sea can have adverse effects for longer than expected. The dumping of the oil tanker Amoco Cádiz, which occurred in 1978, is making it difficult to reproduce the fish in the Brittany area.

From the very moment of the discharge, biologists have carefully analysed the marine fauna of the area. In 1978 the saucer did not grow properly, had lesions in the fins and many did not feed. The Brittany dishes continue to develop abnormal reproductive organs.

The female dishes of the Breton coast reach maturity in their third year. The ovaries develop during the winter and are incinerated in February and March. The studies carried out have shown that the ovaries of the females of platija present damages in large proportion.

The sediments of the river estuaries, where the dishes live, are still contaminated. In 1984 there were 100 miles of dangerous polycyclic hydrocarbons, a quantity that doubled in oyster meat. The silver ones that inhabit there have been in contact throughout their life with contaminated sediments.