An ecologist said Anapa's beaches are not ready to reopen after the fuel oil spill.
Krasnodar Krai ecologist Evgeny Vitishko criticized regional authorities' plans to open eight Anapa beaches during the current tourist season.
“Right now we can’t say that Anapa is ready as a resort to welcome children and adults,” commented environmental plans of the authorities.
Authorities are confident that the seawater in these areas is of good quality, and there have been no fuel oil emissions there for the past six months. If Rospotrebnadzor approves, the area may be removed from the emergency zone and opened to tourists.
According to the ecologist, the lack of clear indicators on the overall condition of the beaches and the level of residual fuel oil pollution makes statements about the resort's readiness for the season premature.
Volunteers are still working in the Bugayskaya Spit area. He called the decision to fill the beach near Vityazevo with sand for "restoration" a travesty. About 45 cubic meters of sand from a quarry approved by Rospotrebnadzor will be piled 50 cm high and 1 km long. If the beach is subsequently deemed suitable for tourists, the practice will be expanded.
Vitishko also criticized the beach cleanup method: contaminated sand was sifted to remove fuel oil directly on site.
"The decision to sift fuel oil from the beach itself actually led to an increase in the overall amount of fuel oil. Roughly speaking, if we take a piece of fuel oil and grind it through a grater, all the sand will become contaminated. That's exactly what we've got now—most of our sand is contaminated with excess amounts of petroleum products and other components," explains Vitishko.
Two oil tankers suffered The Kerch Strait disaster in December 2024. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, approximately 4 tons of fuel oil spilled into the sea, but it was not possible to collect it all immediately. Since then, the coastline has been flooded. are fixed Volunteers continue to find birds contaminated with fuel oil due to oil spills. The last such case was recorded at the end of February.
Photo: "Razliv na svyazi", "Dolphins" headquarters
