13 February 2007

Specially trained staff will be ready to come to the aid of oiled wildlife in the event of an oil spill off Queensland’s coast.

Staff from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service have undergone training in Cairns.

Course presenter Mike Short from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service said trainees learn how to give first aid to animals drenched in oil.

“Oil spills are rare in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park but it’s essential to be prepared,” Mr Short said.

“After three days in the course, we then tested their skills through a field deployment exercise so they could act out a real life situation. First aid demonstrations were shown on healthy seabirds.

 “It’s a tragedy when animals get covered in oil. Seabirds can suffer hypothermia, dehydration, starvation, skin burns, eye damage and egg and chick losses. 

“Our trainees need to know how to respond quickly and effectively to keep them alive.

“They had to develop a plan of action then put it into practise, testing their equipment, to see if it would work. All of the participants performed extremely well.”  

About 3000 ships travel through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park every year, some passing within close proximity to coral reefs and ecologically sensitive areas. 

“There have been no major oil spills to date in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. However due to the high number of ships traversing the area the potential for an oil spill is very high.  

“It is important to remember that spill size is not the issue for oiled wildlife response.

“The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is home to many important habitats and protected species. Regardless of the size of the spill, important marine life could be affected, so all oil spills irrespective of size must be investigated.” 

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Cairns Regional Liaison Manager Doon McColl said the training was delivered in a way so that attendees actually had to think about real life scenarios and how they would react in an emergency.

“The training was very practical and hands on, it gave us a good sense of what needs to be done if an oil spill were to occur and marine animals such as seabirds and fish were being harmed,” she said.