Bataan fishing ban continues as salvor preps for oil recovery

Bataan fishing ban continues as salvor preps for oil recovery | Daily Tribune

The fishing ban off Bataan continues to hamper the livelihood of fishers as there is no date yet when the recovery of industrial fuel oil (IFO) from the sunken MT Terranova will start.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), in a Viber message, said that as of Wednesday, there is an ongoing simulation on how the IFO will be transferred to the prototype tank provided by Shogun Ships Co., Inc., as part of the salvage and siphoning operations for the tanker that sank at Lamao Port in Limay, Bataan.

Bataan Coast Guard Station commander, Lt. Commodore Mark John Encina, said personnel of the salvor, Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc., are still studying how to carefully attach the pipes from the tanks for the siphoning operation without causing a leak.

“We at the government, as well as the OCD (Office of Civil Defense) are ready for any untoward incident. Our tugboats will be deployed if leaks happen,” Encina said during his interview with the members of the media in Bataan.

“We cannot answer whether there will be siphoning activities to happen next week. We will base our information on the developments given to us by the salvor,” he said.

Encina said a scenario of coagulation might happen to the IFO as the temperature under the sea, where the 1.4 million liters of oil are stuck, is low compared to the sea condition at the surface.

If the IFO coagulates or becomes thicker, the IFO will be harder to siphon, a scenario being considered by the salvor, according to Encina.

The Portavaga Ship Management Inc. which manages the sunken tanker, cannot also disclose when the siphoning activity will commence.

Members of the United States Coast Guard and the Washington-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have arrived Tuesday in Limay to help in the oil spill response.

The eight-man team from the United States is set to give technical assistance to the Incident Management Team for the recovery of the three sunken and grounded ships.

Governor Joet Garcia has placed Bataan under a second state of calamity due to the sinking of the Terranova, that of another vessel, MTKR Jason Bradley in Mariveles, and the grounding of the MV Mirola 1, also in Mariveles. All three maritime mishaps happened in one week.

Garcia said 17,000 fisherfolk were affected by the three maritime incidents, including 10,174 families in Limay and 4,822 families in Mariveles.

Also, a state of calamity has been declared in 21 areas in Luzon due to an oil spill in Bataan.

The latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed that of the said municipalities, 12 are in Bataan and nine are from Cavite, namely Cavite and Bacoor cities as well as the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, Naic, Maragondon and Ternate.

As of Tuesday, a total of 25,145 fishermen in Cavite were affected by the oil spill.

Earlier, the Batangas Provincial Veterinary Office identified five oil spill-affected areas: Lobo, Lian, Rosario, Calatagan and Lipa City.

BFAR warning

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Department of Agriculture warned consumers against eating fish caught in oil slick areas.

In BFAR’s Bataan Oil Spill Bulletin No. 03, the bureau cited that the warning is made to avoid incidents of food poisoning as a result of ingesting contaminated seafood.

BFAR urged fisherfolk and the general public to remain calm and monitor the situation through updates issued by government authorities.

According to BFAR, the bureau has been conducting on-ground monitoring and assessment of fishing areas and communities that are potentially affected by three consecutive maritime incidents in the waters of Bataan.

The bureau has deployed personnel in catch landing sites and local markets in the affected and nearby areas to ensure that oil spill-contaminated seafood does not reach the consumers and at the same time, evaluate market dynamics to maintain the price stability of fish.

BFAR’s floating assets have been mobilized to assist partner agencies in monitoring and surveillance, clean-up operations, and fabrication and deployment of oil spill booms using used nets and coco fiber.

BFAR is closely coordinating with the provincial governments and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council to expedite the early recovery program.

BFAR is set to release fuel subsidies and additional food packs/relief packages to mitigate the impact of the oil spill on the livelihood of displaced fishers. Additionally, the agency is validating alternative areas for fishing.