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Brown pelican. Photo: Alan Wilson

(Washington, D.C., June 11, 2010) American Bird Conservacy's Michael Fry testified before the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans, and Wildlife, saying that the impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill may be felt for decades and that leasing for further oil drilling elsewhere in sensitive environments should be postponed, particularly in the Arctic Ocean or Bristol Bay Alaska, until adequate further studies are conducted.

Dr. Fry was asked to testify because of his unique qualifications as Chairman of the Minerals Management Service Science Advisory Committee (MMS is the Federal agency charged with overseeing offshore energy development); his experience with the Exxon Valdez spill, clean up, and wildlife impacts; and as a representative of the nation's leading bird conservation organization, American Bird Conservancy.

ABC's President, George Fenwick, stated “Testimony from avian toxicology experts such as Dr. Fry are vital in the aftermath of this horrific disaster, which will certainly have significant long-term ramifications for populations of seabirds and shorebirds and their habitats. What is crucial in the light of this spill is a renewed look at America's overall energy policy, which has, up to this point, left the fate of the environment in the hands of economists and industry CEOs. The lack of oversight that led to this spill has been egregious and that paradigm must change.”

In his testimony, Dr. Fry expressed particular concern about diminishing budgets for scientific studies related to offshore activities. The budget for the Environmental Studies Program at MMS is about one third of the $55 million figure that it was in 1975, and if corrected for inflation, the current budget of $20 million is only about 10% of what it was in 1975. Without the scientific studies data, the United States would not have been able to assess the oil spill injury from the Exxon Valdez, nor would we have been able to identify the significance of the injury to many species of seabirds, marine mammals, and fish, and their habitats.

Fry said that such continued scientific funding shortfalls should have consequences for future offshore drilling ventures. “The new proposed leases in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in the Arctic Ocean will pose unprecedented challenges, and without adequate science funding, I foresee disasters in such uncompromising environments. Funding shortfalls have been exacerbated by extending leasing beyond the understanding of the risks,” he said.

“In all likelihood, we will see the consequences of the Gulf spill for decades. For example, the Exxon Valdez spill is over 20 years old and some sensitive habitats, such as mussel beds in rocky intertidal areas, still have oil present. Some bird species have still not recovered to pre-spill population levels. About 35,000 oiled birds were recovered in Alaska, but hundreds of thousands of birds are believed to have died. I expect equally far-reaching and long-term effects on bird species from the Gulf spill, and that the wetlands and mangroves of the Gulf Coast will not recover for the foreseeable future.” Dr. Fry said in his written testimony to Congress.

“I expect that even lightly oiled pelicans, gulls, herons, and other birds exposed in this spill will have breeding failure this year,” he said.
“Oil exposure to seabirds causes a cascade of injuries. The initial oil fouling destroys the insulation properties of feathers and allows water to penetrate to the skin; the birds become cold and must metabolize stored nutrients which ultimately causes the bird to rapidly deteriorate. Ingestion of oil causes injury to the digestive tract, liver, and kidneys. Without adequate veterinary care, most moderately or heavily oiled birds will die,” he said.

“The Exxon Valdez spill, which appears likely to be a fraction of the size of the Gulf spill, resulted in prosecution of responsible parties under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Clean Water Act,” says George Fenwick. “I think this disaster calls for no less aggressive legal response, and perhaps an even stronger message needs to be sent, such as criminal prosecution.”

American Bird Conservancy conserves native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas by safeguarding the rarest species, conserving and restoring habitats, and reducing threats while building capacity of the bird conservation movement. ABC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership organization that is consistently awarded a top, four-star rating by the independent group, Charity Navigator.