Romblon fishing villagers raise alarm over oil slick

Residents of a fishing village in San Agustin, Romblon, raised an alarm over an oil slick that has affected their catch in the water close  to where a tugboat ran aground on Oct. 24 at the height of Tropical Storm “Ofel.”

The tugboat PSC Matibay ran aground 20 meters from the shoreline of Barangay (village) Sugod on Tablas Island. It was towing a large barge that carried beverage bottles from Manila to Cebu.

After the boat got stuck, fish caught from the vicinity smelled of fuel, said  San Agustin Mayor Emmanuel Madrona by phone on Sunday.

The coastline of Sugod and Carmen is a fish sanctuary.

Julius Maño, 35, adviser of the fisherfolk group Samahan ng mga Maliliit na Mangingisda, on Sunday said they observed a film of oil on the water’s surface during the first four days after the boat ran aground.

“The other day, I gave anchovies to our dog because we could not eat them. The dog vomited,” Maño said.

Romblon coast guard commander Lt. Geoffrey Espaldon said they placed an oil containment boom around the vessel since Nov. 1 to prevent the diesel from spreading.    Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon