PCG: ‘Very minimal’ oil sheen along shoreline of Manila, other areas

ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT An aerial image from environmental group Greenpeace taken around 4 kilometers off Hagonoy, Bulacan, shows the oil slick from a tanker, which sank on July 25 in Bataan due to bad weather.—NOEL CELIS/GREENPEACE

MANILA, Philippines — The oil sheens along the shorelines of Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, and Cavite are only “very minimal,” the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the PCG said it conducted an aerial survey and “observed very minimal and unnoticeable oil sheens” along the shoreline.

Fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas on Monday said the oil spill had already reached the shorelines of Tanza.

READ: PH Coast Guard verifying reports that oil spill reached parts of Cavite

According to the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute, the oil spill trajectory model indicates that the oil slick would reach Metro Manila by Tuesday.

However, the PCG said the “social media reports showcasing videos and pictures of oil sheen/oil spill were unindicative to the actual aerial view.” It cited the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited.

MT Terra Nova was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel when it capsized and eventually submerged off Bataan last July 25. A crew member also died.

The PCG has since sealed most of the ships’ valves and deployed oil dispersants and barriers to contain the spillages.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has not yet implemented a fishing ban in adjacent waters, saying these areas are still “unaffected” by the oil spill.

READ: BFAR: No fishing ban in waters unaffected by Manila Bay oil spill

However, PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said fishing in areas affected by the oil spill in Manila Bay is not advisable.

READ: Coast Guard: Fishing in Manila Bay unsafe due to oil spill