Oil spilling from a sunken tanker in the Philippines has forced thousands of local fishermen to temporarily abandon their livelihoods.
The sunken fuel tanker MT Princess Empress was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank near Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, the Philippines on 1 March after capsizing the previous day.
Philippines Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said the exact location of the sunken ship has been identified and authorities are now determining which places, including marine protected areas, have been or will be impacted by the spill, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
But in fishing villages nearby the spill, oil has already come ashore, drenching the coastline in black sludge. Dozens of people, including clean-up workers, have fallen sick, experiencing cramps, vomiting, and dizziness. In response, the federal government has distributed medicine, face masks and other medical supplies to local hospitals
Philippines authorities have declared a state of emergency and imposed a fishing ban until the spill is cleaned up. The BBC reported around 18,000 fishermen in 60 villages have been prohibited from fishing as a result of the ban. The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) issued a warning on 5 March against eating fish and other seafood from areas affected by the oil spill, saying it could present a danger to health, according to The Philippine Star.
"When I catch fish, my everyday earnings go to my children and to the food that we eat. It is a very big problem that this oil spill happened," 55-year-old fisherman Florante Favroa told Reuters. "It is a very huge loss for us, we have no more resources.”
The Philippines the Department of Labor and Employment has promised emergency employment and other assistance, including food, to workers affected by the oil spill.
An estimated 36,000 hectares (88,958 acres) of coral reef, mangroves, and sea-grass are at risk of being damaged or destroyed as a result of the spill, disrupting food chains and ecosystems, according to Reuters. The Philippines tourism ministry expressed concern the spill may harm the waters and coral reefs at popular diving destinations in the region, including the Verde Island passage and Apo Reef in Mindoro and World War II shipwrecks in Palawan.
The Philippines Coast Guard has deployed oil spill booms and sprayed chemicals in efforts to control the spread, but said the spill is not yet contained. It is unclear how much oil and spilled thus far and how much remains in the tanker. The coast guard is investigating those questions and how to safely pump any oil remaining in the ship out.
The tanker's owner, RDC Reield Marine Services Inc., was fully insured, according to Insurance Business Magazine, and has contracted two local agencies to conduct clean-up activities. An investigation has been launched to determine what caused the Philippine-flagged vessel to sink, though seas were rough at the time. The 20 crewmembers onboard the MT Princess Empress at the time of the incident were rescued by a passing cargo ship before their ship sank.
Photo courtesy of WWF
