Manila Bay Oil Spill Threatens Fishermen’s Livelihood and Health

An oil spill from a marine tanker that capsized off the coast of Manila Bay in the Philippines has reached the shores of a nearby fishing village, threatening the health and livelihood of fishermen as efforts began to mop up the fuel.

MT Terra Nova was carrying 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel when it sank in rough seas off the coast of Limay in Bataan province, west of the Philippine capital, on Thursday. One member of the 17-strong crew was killed.

Fishermen in the town of Tanza in Cavite province, south of Manila, were distraught after the oil slick landed on the town’s shores, reporting a foul odor.

“This oil spill will have a big effect on us fishermen because we rely on the sea and it has been affected by the oil,” said 48-year-old Renan Honsana. “We would need to sell our catches very cheap because people would not buy it. Where can we get our livelihood except to this sea?”

The Philippine coast guard said it has sealed the leak from the capsized tanker and would start siphoning the oil out to prevent more fuel from leaking. It surveyed the waters of Limay, Bulacan, and Cavite by air and observed “minimal oil sheen.”

Officials were investigating whether the sinking was related to Typhoon Gaemi, which intensified monsoon rains in the Philippines, triggering floods and landslides that killed at least 36 people.

An oil spill from tanker MT Princess Empress, which was carrying about 800,000 liters of industrial fuel when it capsized and eventually sank in February last year, took three months to clean up, affecting tourist towns.

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