Faster cleanup of birds urged after Squamish spill

Environmentalists have accused the Canadian Wildlife Service of being too slow to rehabilitate dozens of birds fouled by an oil spill in the Squamish estuary north of Vancouver.

Wildlife officials estimate as many as 100 Canada geese may be suffering the effects of the slick,after the Norwegian freighter Westwood Anettespilled 29,000 litres of bunker fuel oil in Squamish Harbour on Aug. 4.

The Squamish Environmental Conservation Authorityhas demanded thebirds be immediately caught and cleaned, accusing the Canadian Wildlife Service of dragging its heels.

"We don't know what the mortality is going to be for those birds, and if it gets into the food chain, what will the effect be for the bears, the eagles, the turkey vultures," said Megan Fellowes, a spokeswoman for the group.

Oiled birds hard to catch: wildlife official

Canadian Wildlife Service manager Dave Smith said it would take several days for the affected birds to weaken to the point where they could be caught.

"It's extremely difficult if not impossible to capture birds that fly away when you try to capture them," he told CBC Radio.

Smith said professional biologists have been hired to clean the birds.

He also said that if any die, the carcasses will be removed as soon as possible to prevent other animals from feeding on them.

Cleanup continues

The Canadian Coast Guard said Monday that two-thirds of the oil spill has been collected.

The spill happened after the ship rammed into a pier in high winds.

Cleanup crews have been focusing their efforts on oil that got into the marshes of the Squamish Estuary.

It's believed a complete cleanup may take several months.

Some beaches south along Howe Sound were closed to swimming over the holiday weekend.