Oil spill threatens endangered penguins and sea life in remote South Atlantic territory

The shipwreck also threatens the lobster fishery that provides a livelihood to one of the world’s most isolated communities.

The Malta-registered MS Olivia was grounded on Nightingale Island in the Tristan da Cunha chain last week. The ship had been traveling from Brazil to Singapore and contained 1,500 metric tons (1,650 tons) of crude oil and a cargo of 60,000 metric tons (66,000 tons) of soya beans.

The ship’s 22 crew members were rescued before it broke in two.

Tristan da Cunha’s conservation officer, Trevor Glass, said oil was encircling Nightingale Island and called the situation “a disaster.”

The territory’s British administrator, Sean Burns, said more than half of about 500 birds gathered by rescue workers had been coated in oil. An environmentalist at the scene estimated that 20,000 penguins might be affected.

Tristan da Cunha is home to some 200,000 penguins, including almost half the world’s total of northern rockhopper penguins. The bird is classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Located midway between Africa and South America — more than 2,800 kilometers (1,700 miles) from the nearest land — Tristan da Cunha is home to about 275 people who rely on rock lobster fishing for their livelihood.

Burns said he had temporarily closed the area around Nightingale and nearby Inaccessible Island to fishing.

“We are concerned about the potential impact (the spill) may have on the spawning grounds,” Burns said. “The lobster fishery is what Tristan depends on. The revenue keeps this island afloat.”

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