How is the War in Ukraine Affecting Local Wildlife?
Whilst everyone is aware of the terrible tragedies unfolding in Ukraine, the environmental casualties of this war may not have crossed your mind. Alongside the destruction of cities and the loss of human lives, habitats and protected areas are suffering too, whilst countless animals have also lost their lives or had them severely disrupted. Unfortunately, the effects of Putin’s war on wildlife will last much longer than the fighting itself as landscapes take time to recover, rewild and repopulate. Here are just some of the ways in which Ukraine’s unique marine species have already been affected.
It may surprise many to hear that Ukraine actually houses an incredible amount of natural life and although it only counts for 6% of Europe’s land area, it holds an astonishing 35% of the continent’s biodiversity! This is due in part to its wide range of landscapes, stretching from the high-altitude Carpathian Mountains to the low lying coastal wetlands, with over 200,000 kilometres of rivers weaving their way across the country in between. Ukraine is a popular spot on many birds’ migration routes where they use the wetlands to refuel and breed, leading to the designation of 14 protected Ramsar sites. These sites are considered to be of international importance by UNESCO due to the role they play in supporting a whole host of rare and endemic species.
Yet these protected areas are now home to more than just herons and pelicans as Ukraine’s southern coast sees some of the most intense fighting. For example, the Tuzly Lagoons National Park has been carefully protected by conservationists for 30 years. Over these three decades, rangers have painstakingly dug shallow channels from the coastal lagoons to the shoreline of the Black Sea in order to link the two bodies of water together. In the past, these channels occurred naturally until an increase in agriculture led to the blocking of the small rivers which fed the channels. The channels are, however, essential to the bird life which calls the lagoons home as they feed on the millions of small fish which make their way inland via the waterways each year. This spring, conservation work has been forced to grind to a halt as the surrounding beaches are now littered with mines laid to ward off the Russian army. With no channels, there will be no exchange of water, no fish travelling inland and an estimated 5,000 hungry herons amongst others. Of course, the mines and bombs themselves also have a dramatic impact on the bird population here, with over 200 bombs already dropped on this area filled with avocets and pelicans. In a normal year, the lagoons could see 1,000 – 1,500 white pelicans nesting after their voyage from Africa; this year, only 300 have been spotted.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time the region has been disturbed by disputes as in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, the Kryva Kosa Spit was turned into a landing zone for troops. This area is ecologically-sensitive and home to the largest European nesting site for the endangered Pallas gull. All the conservationists’ hard work to increase their numbers to several thousand breeding pairs was quickly undone as the region was destroyed and the Pallas gull, as well as oystercatchers and sandwich terns, fled the area.
On the Kinburn Spit, another protected Ramsar site, bombing has already caused wildfires which burned for over a week. These fires were so large that they were visible from space and covered over 4,000 hectares of land. Not only will animals have been lost but rare flora too, such as wild red book orchids. Yet the true damage is not yet known as environmentalists and government bodies cannot access the area, and those stuck inside the region are struggling to get essential supplies such as fuel or fire trucks.
Bombing can actually have several impacts on the environment, many of which last much longer than the explosion itself. In some war-torn areas, it has been observed that bomb craters totally change the make up of the ecosystem. The area is normally cleared of animal and plant life, leaving a blank canvas to be colonised once more and often, invasive species out-compete the local natives and begin to take over. Most seriously though, for both wildlife and humans, weapons contain chemicals, such as TNT and heavy metals, which then leach into the natural environment and cause long-lasting damage. For example, when exposed to light, TNT breaks down into many other harmful chemicals which then persist in the environment for years to come. These chemicals can infiltrate soil and sand, affecting the chemical make up of the land which affects both farming and nature. They could also make their way into groundwater, rivers and the sea which may be particularly dangerous in Ukraine as the surrounding Black Sea and Sea of Azov are enclosed, meaning pollution quickly accumulates to dangerous levels. Already, scientists are using satellite imagery to track the build up of any water pollution which may be occurring as a side effect of the war.
This hazardous pollution can obviously negatively impact our marine species but arguably, it is the noise pollution which is placing the greatest toll on cetaceans. Since the start of the war in February, an extraordinary increase in dead dolphins has been tracked across the countries lining the Black Sea, such as Turkey and Bulgaria. It is hard to give exact figures on the number of these creatures which have been found as many parts of the coastline are inaccessible, in part due to remoteness but also due to the fighting taking place. Scientists have studied the bodies and believe that around half of the deaths are caused by entanglement in fishing nets whilst the other half are unexplained as no signs of physical damage can be seen. Many believe the increasingly noisy Black Sea could be to blame however.
Never before have so many ships been present in the area or for so long and the noise they generate is amplified under the waves. Combine this with the fact that many marine species have enhanced hearing to help them find others in their pod and hunt for food and our poor dolphins and porpoises are having to deal with a deafening racket almost all day, every day. This causes an enormous amount of stress, meaning these mammals then struggle to hunt for food and navigate as the echolocation they use is drowned out. This could explain why so many dolphins are washing up on beaches as they are becoming lost and confused, end up in shallow water and then sadly die on the shoreline. It could also be one reason why more are being caught in fishing lines, as they struggle to detect and avoid danger as their echoes and calls are muffled. The use of sonar by the military is also a likely cause for the increase in dolphin mortality as these slow rolling soundwaves are deafening at an astonishing 235 decibels. To put this into perspective, the world’s loudest ever rock band only manged to hit 140 decibels. This noise can travel up to 300 miles and when the sonar begins, multiple species have been documented to dramatically change their behaviour, including suddenly rising to the surface from a deep dive causing decompression sickness and bleeding ears. Many whales, dolphins and porpoises become panicked at the sound of sonar and are known to beach themselves, becoming stranded and fatally stuck on the sand.
The Sea of Azov is now also buzzing with ship activity as the Navy moves in and is placing increasing pressure on the animals that live there. This area of water is important for migrating species such as anchovy and harbour porpoise, both of which usually migrate in peace during the spring. Adding to the pressure of the noise and an increased number of obstacles is the oil pollution which occurs from damaged and sinking ships as well as just general smaller oil and fuel leaks into the ocean. Combine this with floating naval mines and it seems a miracle that life is still in the area at all, especially as the environmental emergency response teams are unable to access the worst hit regions.
So is there anything Ukraine can do to help save their wildlife? The good news is that the Ukrainian government is determined to seek accountability for all damage that has occurred and already, a taskforce is in place building an environmental case against Russia. This group is collecting evidence of war crimes, specifically against bodies of water, with brave rangers remaining in Russian occupied regions and heading out to collect water samples which may indicate pollution. In theory, this evidence can be taken to the international criminal court which can prosecute if attacks on nature are found to be intentional and knowingly cause widespread, long term, severe damage. In reality however, it is thought to be very tricky to actually prosecute. There is reason for hope though as this law has been successfully used in the past. In 1991, when Iraq set fire to hundreds of oil wells in Kuwait and intentionally spilled millions of barrels into the Persian Gulf, causing air, soil and water pollution, they were ordered to pay $3 billion in compensation, a fine they have only just finished paying.
Only one month into the Russian war 110 environmental crimes had been reported, with many more now added to the list and so the case against Russia appears strong but only time will tell how Ukraine’s wildlife will fare in the meantime. Conservation relies on stability, peace and access to resources, all of which appear non-existent right now. However, Ukraine already has plans in place for a green recovery which will see their country re-build in a more sustainable way; let’s just hope our wildlife can once again surprise us with their ability and determined resolve to thrive until we reach that point in time.
By Neve McCracken-Heywood