Oil spill could affect 11,000 Bataan fisherfolk – BFAR
MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) estimated that in a worst-case scenario, the oil spill from the sunken MT Terranova will affect 11,000 fisherfolk in the Central Luzon province of Bataan engaged in capture fisheries with a combined income loss of P83.8 million per month.
Neil Kenneth Tibog, division chief of fisheries resource management in BFAR, presented this during a meeting in Pampanga province on Monday, July 29.
Aside from the damage to capture fisheries in Bataan, the oil spill could also affect 8,000 fisherfolk in Bulacan, another Central Luzon province north of Manila, with P63 million in monthly income loss.
The BFAR has estimated the economic loss to fisheries in Pampanga, also in Central Luzon, at P7.6 million per month.
As of writing, BFAR has not yet imposed a fishing ban in these areas.
“Right now, BFAR is not yet recommending any fishing ban,” BFAR spokesperson Nazer Briguera told Rappler in a text message.
“We are anchoring our decisions on the present situation. Only if necessary, the BFAR will recommend the fishing ban.”
BFAR to test for oil contaminants in fish
Tibog said during the meeting on Monday that they have so far done only sensory evaluation of fish in wet markets in Bataan, checking if fish being sold smelled or tasted of oil.
“Fortunately naman po, mula po sa ating sensory analysis ay negative naman po ang nakita natin sa ating mga isda mula sa mga napagkuhanan po nating mga palengke sa lalawigan ng Bataan,” he said.
(Fortunately, from our sensory analysis, we got negative results from the fish we got from wet markets in Bataan.)
The BFAR official said they will subject fish samples for testing in a third-party laboratory to check for oil and grease contaminants.
Tracing for oil in fish could take two to three weeks, a constraint that was not lost on the BFAR. This was also the same problem that arose when MT Princess Empress sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in February 2023. A fishing ban was imposed for months across Oriental Mindoro towns, stripping fisherfolk of their main source of livelihood causing nearly P5 billion in damage to fisheries in three regions.
Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor, who was present in the same meeting on Monday, called out BFAR for taking too long to complete its tests.
The governor said testing takes two to three weeks because of all the signatures needed from the “one who tested…to the signature of your [BFAR] director.”
“Paso na ‘yung result bago ‘nyo ilabas,” Dolor said. (The result is stale even before you release it.)
Oil continues to spread
On July 25, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that MT Terranova capsized and submerged off Limay, Bataan. The oil tanker was en route to Iloilo and was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil.
In the days that followed, the PCG deployed vessels and oil spill booms to contain the spill. Fifteen leaking valves have yet to be sealed before siphoning operations start. MT Terranova owner Shogun Ships has tapped Philippine maritime services provider Harbor Star to salvage the sunken tanker and help in the cleanup.
The Marine Science Institute (MSI) of the University of the Philippines released a bulletin on Sunday, July 28, forecasting that an oil slick will travel northwards to Bulacan and will affect coastal areas in the Cavite, south of Manila.
Through satellite imagery, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) found an estimated surface area of 93.74 square kilometers covered in possible oil in Manila Bay.
Aerial photos and videos from non-government group Greenpeace Philippines taken on Sunday, July 28, showed that an oil sheen had reached Hagonoy, Bulacan. A team from Greenpeace and international organization Oceana went to the area following satellite photos in Karagatan Patrol.
“This was confirmed by barangay officials of Isla Tibaguin who saw oil when they went out to sea the night before to catch fish. They took videos of the oil slick,” the group said in a statement on Sunday. – Rappler.com