The bread and butter of approximately 29,000 fishers are currently at risk as seven coastal towns in Cavite are expected to be affected by the oil spill if it continues to spread across the province, progressive fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said.
Palamalakaya reported that the oil spill from the sunken MT Terra Nova in Bataan has now spread to the shores of multiple towns in Cavite. These affected areas include Cavite City (5,500 fisherfolk), Noveleta (1,500 fisherfolk), Tanza (5,000 fisherfolk), Naic (7,000 fisherfolk), Rosario (6,000 fisherfolk), Ternate (3,000 fisherfolk), and Maragondon (700 fisherfolk).
In a statement on July 30, Pamalakaya Vice Chairperson Ronnel Arambulo said fishers are extremely concerned about their catch no longer being marketable because of oil contamination.
“Malaking perwisyo ito sa mga mangingisda ng lalawigan ng Cavite na lugmok pa rin ang kalagayan mula nang manalasa ang Bagyong Carina at Habagat nito lamang nakaraang linggo (This poses a significant problem for the fisherfolk in Cavite province, who are still in a dire situation following the onslaught of Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon last week),” he stated.
With this, the fishers group called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to provide immediate and concrete interventions to help the Cavite fishers affected by the oil spill.
“Tiyak na signipikante ang pagbagsak ng produksyon ng isda dahil sa magkakasunod na kalamidad na tumama sa ating bansa. Dapat mayroon nang malinaw na hakbang ang pamahalaan para masuportahan ang mga bulnerableng sektor sa agrikultura tulad ng mga mangingisda (For sure, there is significant decrease in the fish production due to consecutive calamities that his our country. The government should have clear interventions to aid the vulnerable sectors such as fishers),” said Arambulo.
The fishers group said that oil spill-affected fishers in Cavite have not received any assistance from the government yet.
“Malaking kapabayaan ng pamahalaan kung bukod sa hindi maaagapan ang pagkalat ng langis, ay walang suportang matatanggap ang mga mangingisda (It would be a significant oversight by the government if, besides failing to prevent the spread of oil, the fishers will not receive any assistance),” he said.
On July 29, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said there is still no fishing ban in Bataan towns as all fish samples collected from around the oil spill site passed the “sensory analysis.”
Per BFAR’s Oil Spill Bulletin No. 1, fish samples from the waters of Bataan towns—Limay, Orion, Balanga City, and Samal—were subjected to “sensory analysis” by the bureau on July 29. The samples were tested for taste (cooked fish), raw odor, and cooked odor, and they all successfully passed the analysis.
Green groups Greenpeace and Oceana had earlier called on the government to ensure accountability for the "preventable" incident, demanding action from both the responsible government bodies and the private owners of the tanker.
On July 25, MT Terra Nova, carrying 1.4 million liters of oil, capsized and sank off the waters of Limay, Bataan.