Heiltsuk First Nation fears wildlife affected by diesel spill on B.C. coast

The Heiltsuk First Nation says it's afraid that diesel fuel spilled from a sunken tug off British Columbia's Central Coast is affecting wildlife and the food supply of its people.

It points to the discovery of dead animals in the area. 

The tugboat Nathan E. Stewart was carrying more than 200,000 litres of diesel when it ran aground and sank about 28 kilometres from Bella Bella on Oct. 13.

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A situation report says the volume of the spill is still being calculated based on what has been recovered or cleaned up, but current estimates show 105,000 litres of fuel leaked.

The Heiltsuk First Nation says humpback whales, sea otters and marine birds continue to be spotted near, and in, the sheen, while wildlife assessment teams have spotted a dead seal and dead crabs in the past week.

The situation report says some of the dead species have been collected for testing to determine what specifically caused their death.

On Oct. 24, the report said that a rhinoceros auklet — a puffin-like bird — had been seen to be visibly impacted by the fuel.

Kelly Brown, director of the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department, says it is "disturbing" to see the community's food and the marine life appear to be so severely affected.