The Bantay Dagat (Sea Patrol) reported on Thursday, March 23, 2023, to the Calapan Fishery Management Office (FMO) sighting of oil slick in the Harka Piloto sanctuary in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. Photo courtesy of Bantay Dagat thru FMO
CITY OF CALAPAN — The oil slick from the sunken MT Princess Empress reached on Thursday afternoon the Harka Piloto fish sanctuary in Barangay Lazareto in this city, according to reports received by the Calapan Fishery and Management Office (FMO).
Photos of the oil slick taken by Bantay Dagat (sea patrol) were given to FMO when it was seen around 1 p.m.
Harka Piloto is along the Verde Island Passage, where the world’s most critical marine biodiversity center is found, said Marius Panahon, aquaculturist at Calapan FMO, in an interview.
As a marine-protected area, the Harka Piloto Fish Sanctuary is being protected actively by the community and the local government.
A cleanup was immediately launched to remove the oil from its waters and shore.
Harka Piloto is surrounded by crystal blue waters teeming with rich marine life. It is ideal for diving and snorkeling.
Calapan, the capital city of Oriental Mindoro, is located some 23 kilometers from the waters off the province’s Naujan town, where the tanker, which carried 800,000 liters of industrial oil, sank on Feb. 28.
The oil slick was first reported in the city’s Barangay Navotas last week, particularly in Sitio (sub-village) Villa San Antonio and Sitio Proper, after residents found traces of industrial oil stuck on the sand.
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