OUWENEEL GL (1971) Short announcements: Consequences of oil disaster in Biesbos for haunting geese during the winter of 1970- 1971 in the Hollands Diep-Haringvliet area. LIMOSA 44 (3): 185-185.

9000 ton fuel oil flew into the river Amer in the Netherlands. The river Amer communicates with the Biesbos, an important wildfowl-haunt, and the river Hollands DiepHaringvliet, a former estuary which was closed from the North Sea on the 2nd of November 1970. In the Biesbos as well as in the Hollands Diep a lot of geese got into contact with the oil. The oil did not reach the Haringvliet. The annexed table gives the number of geese, soiled with oil, which were counted among the geeseconcentrations along the Hollands Diep-Haringvliet in January and early February 1971. It is supposed that in this haunt about 2000-2500 geese were soiled with oil. Another number of geese, possible more, were soiled in the Biesbos-haunt. Some tens were found dead; probably a lot of the soiled geese migrated in spring. About 200 Barnacle Geese and Bean Geese each got into contact with the oil. Most of the soiled geese were Whitefronts. Of the Grey-lags wintering in the Hollands Diep about 50-75% were soiled. In the Haringvliet about 1500-2000 Grey-lags stayed the winter 1970-1971. Among them about 10% showed oil.

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