Waste Oil from Ships

Abstract

IN the Landmark for May Sir Arthur Shipley has a very timely and important article on “The Danger to Fish and Bird Life from Oil-driven Ships”. I could add my testimony in support of his argument, but wish now to raise the question whether, as he states, “nothing can prevent the oil getting into the bilge”. When I was recently at Funchal, Madeira, I visited H.M.S. Dunedin, of the Light Cruiser Squadron, and was shown the oil-burning engines and many other wonderful things. I raised the question of the injury caused by the oil, and was assured that there was no loss of oil in the Dunedin, and that leakage, when it occurred, was due to faulty construction. If this is true, the remedy is obvious; it is intolerable that so much damage should result from preventable causes, and the public is entitled to protection. In any event, all those interested in the matter should urge the engineers to attack the problem at once, and show us what to do to abate the nuisance.