I am a daily visitor of the Grand Union Canal, where I used to feed and check on the beautiful breeds of birds. The coots and geese were my morning wake up call, but now there is just silence. An oil spill has caused absolute devastation, killing wildlife on a massive scale. This incident was reported to both the Environmental Agency and Canal and River Trust at the beginning of February, yet action was delayed for nearly two weeks due to disputes over cost responsibilities."This has been caused by cooking oil being deliberately dumped in the canal near Park Royal, which has wiped out almost the entire waterfowl population between there and Little Venice. Birds have died, and others have abandoned the canal to look for clean water elsewhere. Many have had to be rescued to have the oil washed from their feathers, removed from their chosen habitat just as breeding season begins, and cannot be returned until the water is clean again. The birds that remain run the risk of a similar fate, as clean up of the canal was limited and there is still oil in the water (which is now being left to degrade over time as the agencies involved consider it "harmless")"

This lack of immediate response has led to an ecological disaster that could have been mitigated with prompt action. It is estimated that oil spills kill tens of thousands of birds every year in the UK alone (RSPB). The delay in response time not only exacerbates this issue but also undermines public trust in these agencies' commitment to protect our environment.

We are calling for an improvement in these agencies' actions towards minor or major incidents regarding our wildlife. We need them to prioritize immediate action over bureaucratic disputes when it comes to protecting our environment. Our wildlife should not suffer due to human negligence or inefficiency.

Please sign this petition if you believe that swift action should be taken by responsible agencies during environmental crises, regardless of cost disputes or other bureaucratic hurdles."