Zeevogelsterfte na olie-lekkage door de ertscarrier MS Borcea voor de Zeeuwse kust, januari 1988

Following a westerly gale on 6th and 7th of January 1988, a tremendous amount of oil washed ashore on Goeree and the Brouwersdam (figure 1). Large numbers of oiled Great Crested Grebes (554), Eiders (518), Common Scoters (1281) and Guillemots (855) washed up, many still alive. Most birds were totally covered by the oil. The oil was found to originate from the ore-carrier MV Borcea, sailing to Terneuzen/Gent on 4th January and on to Norway on 7th along the coast of Zeeland. The ship leaked some 350 tonnes of crude oil close to our coast and close to a major concentration of Common Scoters (numbering ca. 15.000; Baptist 1988 in this issue; in an area with high densities of Guillemots and flocks of Eiders and grebes. Nearly 4000 casualties are actually reported and several hundreds of scoters are known to have escaped attention by crossing the Brouwersdam. Hundreds are known to have been ’stolen’ from the depots. We estimate some 5000 or 5500 birds may have been killed in this incident, including some 2000-2500 Common Scoters. The Borcea-incident therefore is one of the most serious oil-incidents known to have happened in the Netherlands and the biggest in this area.