The Nation : Eagles Are Long-Term Oil Spill Victims

The Alaska oil spill has had a severe impact on bald eagles and their ability to reproduce, threatening future generations of eagles, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said. Oil has either killed eagles directly or triggered a staggering drop in reproduction, according to survey data released by the agency’s director, John Turner, during a Labor Day weekend visit to Alaska. “Preliminary data show a pretty severe impact on the reproductive population,” Turner said in releasing a report showing a 67% nest failure in areas of Prince William Sound affected by the March 24 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The carcasses of 146 bald eagles, including several chicks, have been found, but a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service statement said: “This is believed to be only a fraction of the total mortality.” A potentially greater impact could result from abandoned nests, failure of eggs to hatch and a lower reproducing population.