Philippines oil spill sparks fears of environmental catastrophe | DW News
Summary
TLDREnvironmental concerns escalate in the Philippines as oil leaks from a sunken tanker off Manila's coast, posing a risk of a major spill. The tanker sank in rough seas, killing one crew member. Coast Guard teams are attempting to contain the spill using sprays and containment booms, with plans to siphon remaining oil. Local fishermen fear for their livelihoods, and the Coast Guard warns of a potential environmental catastrophe if the entire cargo leaks. Efforts are being made to minimize the impact on marine life and coastal communities, as the government and authorities respond to the crisis.
Takeaways
- 🚢 An oil tanker sunk off Manila in bad weather, resulting in one death and the risk of a major oil spill.
- 📉 Approximately 1.4 million liters of oil were on board, with some of it leaking into the ocean.
- 🛠️ Coast Guard teams are using sprays to break down the fuel and plan to siphon the remaining oil from the vessel.
- 🧐 Divers are working to seal leaking valves before the oil can be removed from the sunken tanker.
- 🐟 Local fishing crews are concerned about their livelihoods and the potential death of fish due to the oil spill.
- 🚫 The Coast Guard has called for a suspension of fishing in Manila Bay to prevent the consumption of contaminated fish.
- 🌊 There are fears of an environmental catastrophe if the entire cargo of the sunken ship leaks into the ocean.
- 🛡️ Initial attempts to contain the spill using floating barriers have failed, leading to the use of containment booms and absorbent materials.
- 🔍 The Philippine Coast Guard is still verifying the extent of the spill and its impact on coastal communities.
- 🔑 The government is relying on local governments and coastal villages to report any sightings of oil reaching the shores for immediate response.
- 💪 Efforts are being made to contain the spill, with 14 valves of the tank reportedly sealed, and plans to siphon industrial fuel oil starting the following Tuesday.
Q & A
What is the current environmental concern in the Philippines?
-The Philippines is facing an environmental catastrophe due to oil leaking from a sunken boat into the ocean.
What was the initial cause of the oil spill?
-The oil spill was caused by a tanker sinking in bad weather off Manila, which resulted in the death of one crew member.
How much oil is at risk of spilling from the sunken tanker?
-Approximately 1.4 million liters of oil on board the sunken tanker are at risk of leaking out.
What measures are being taken to mitigate the oil spill?
-Coast Guard teams are using sprays to break down the fuel, and divers are attempting to seal leaking valves. They also plan to siphon the remaining oil from the vessel's hold.
What is the impact of the oil spill on local fishing communities?
-Local fishing communities are worried about their livelihoods as the oil is spreading across the ocean, potentially killing the fish they depend on.
What actions is the Coast Guard recommending to prevent further environmental damage?
-The Coast Guard is calling for the suspension of fishing in Manila Bay to prevent people from eating contaminated fish and is warning of a potential environmental catastrophe if the entire cargo leaks.
What is the current status of the efforts to contain the oil spill?
-The Philippine Coast Guard has stopped using dispersants based on technical advice and is now using containment booms and floating booms to absorb the spill.
Is there a plan to recover the sunken tanker?
-The plan is to siphon industrial fuel oil from the tank, starting on Tuesday, with the hope that the vessel will float to the surface and be recovered.
What is the potential long-term impact of the oil spill on marine life in Manila Bay?
-The oil spill could significantly affect fish production and catch, with restrictions and bans on fishing in affected areas already in place.
How is the government responding to the concerns of the local fishing communities?
-The government has tapped local governments surrounding Manila Bay and coastal villages to report any oil reaching the shores so that authorities can respond immediately.
What is the current estimate of the oil spill's coverage?
-The Philippine Coast Guard is verifying reports about the extent of the spill, which has been observed to have reduced from 12 to 14 kilometers to about 2 to 4 nautical miles.
Outlines
🚨 Environmental Crisis Looms as Oil Leaks from Sunken Tanker in Manila
The Philippines faces a potential environmental catastrophe as oil continues to leak from a sunken tanker off the coast of Manila. The tanker sank during bad weather, resulting in the death of one crew member and the risk of a major oil spill. Approximately 1.4 million liters of oil were on board, with some leaking into the ocean. Coast Guard teams are attempting to mitigate the situation using sprays to break down the fuel and plan to siphon the remaining oil. Divers are working to seal leaking valves, and local fishing crews are urging the government to hold those responsible accountable. The impact on marine life and livelihoods is significant, with fears that fish stocks may die off due to contamination. The Coast Guard has called for a suspension of fishing in Manila Bay to prevent the consumption of contaminated fish and warns of an environmental disaster if the entire cargo leaks.
🛑 Efforts to Contain Oil Spill and Assess Impact on Marine Life
Despite initial containment efforts, the scale of the oil spill disaster has been reduced, but the impact on marine life in Manila Bay is already significant. Fishermen are concerned about their livelihoods as fishing restrictions are imposed in affected areas. The Philippine Coast Guard is optimistic about containing the spill, having sealed 14 valves, including non-leaking ones, and plans to siphon industrial fuel oil from the tanker starting the following Tuesday. The government and local authorities are on alert for any sightings of oil reaching the shores, ready to respond immediately. The hope is to prevent further spread of the oil to protect coastal communities and marine life that depend on the health of Manila Bay.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡environmental catastrophe
💡oil leak
💡sunken boat
💡Coast Guard
💡siphoning
💡leaking valves
💡fishing ban
💡contaminated fish
💡marine life
💡livelihoods
💡environmental journalist
Highlights
Growing fears of an environmental catastrophe in the Philippines due to oil leakage from a sunken boat.
The tanker sunk in bad weather off Manila, resulting in one crew member's death and the risk of a major oil spill.
Oil is spreading across the ocean, posing a significant threat to marine life and local fishing communities.
Coast Guard teams are using sprays to break down the fuel and plan to siphon the remaining oil from the vessel.
Divers are attempting to seal leaking valves to prevent further oil leakage.
Local fishing crews demand the government to hold those responsible accountable for the environmental disaster.
The Philippine Coast Guard is considering the suspension of fishing in Manila Bay to prevent contaminated fish consumption.
There is a warning of a potential environmental catastrophe if the entire cargo of the sunken ship leaks.
The Coast Guard initially used dispersants but has now switched to containment booms and floating booms to absorb the spill.
Reports about the extent of the oil spill are still being verified by the Philippine Coast Guard.
Photographs show oil slicks, but the government is yet to confirm the full extent of the spill's reach.
Local governments surrounding Manila Bay are asked to report any oil sightings for immediate response.
The Coast Guard is optimistic about containing the spill and has sealed 14 valves, including non-leaking ones.
Plans to siphon industrial fuel oil from the tank starting Tuesday, aiming to recover the vessel.
The potential threat to the environment includes not only the oil but also the fuel powering the vessel.
Measures are being taken to mitigate the impact on marine life and prevent further spread of the oil spill.
Fishermen are concerned about their livelihoods as the spill could affect fish production and catch.
Restrictions and bans on fishing in affected areas have been implemented to protect marine life.
The hope is to prevent the spill from spreading further and affecting more coastal communities.
Transcripts
now fears of an environmental
catastrophe in the Philippines are
growing as oil from a sunken boat
continues to leak into the ocean the
tanker sunk in bad weather off Manila on
Thursday killing one crew member and
creating the risk of a major oil
spill oil smears the ocean off manila's
Coast the fuel is spilling from a sunken
tanker which went down in rough Seas
last week some of the roughly 1.4
million liters of oil on borders leaking
out Coast Guard teams have been using
sprays which help break down the fuel
Crews plan to siphon the rest of the oil
from the vessel's hold on Tuesday at the
earliest but divers are attempting to
seal leaking valves
first local fishing Crews want the
government to hold those responsible to
account
the problem we have is that the oil is
spreading across the
ocean I hope the government finds a
solution right
away it's a big loss for us Fisher
[Music]
folk we are very worried for our
livelihoods because all of the fish that
we've been taken care of might
[Music]
die the Coast Guard is calling for the
suspension of fishing in Manila Bay to
prev prevent people eating contaminated
fish it's warning of an environmental
catastrophe if the sunken ships entire
cargo were to
leak and we can get more from jesset
oano she's a Filipino environment and
climate journalist who is based in the
capital Manila welcome to DW now we hear
that the coast guards plan to deploy
floating barriers to stop this oil from
reaching the shore has failed so can you
explain to us what this means both for
the city of Manila but also of course
for all the marine life uh off the
coast sure um so speaking to reporters
at a press conference this afternoon the
Philippine Coast Guard said that they
are stopping the dispersant that they
are they initially um placed to contain
the spill from the tanker um based on a
technical advice that it wasn't the most
effective way to contain it and in
instead what they are doing is they are
now resorting to the use of more
containment booms as well as floating
Booms that will hopefully absorb the
spill um that is coming from the sunken
tanker off the coast of Bataan um
speaking to reporters earlier the
Philippine Coast Guard said that it is
still verifying reports about the extent
of The Spill and whether it has actually
already reached Coastal communities or
even extended to large parts of Manila
Bay however we have seen photographs
from journalists and environmental
organizations and fishing groups of what
appears to be shiny black oil slicks
which as the government said they are
still confirming what we are sure of is
that the Coast Guard has said that the
government has already tapped uh local
governments that are surrounding the
Manila Bay and Coastal Villages um to
report immediately to authorities if
they see any instance of oil reaching
the shores so that the authorities can
immediately respond um based on the
press conference earlier the Coast Guard
appears to be uh positive that they will
be able to contain the spill um they
were able to seal at least 14 of the
valves of the tank um including those
that are not leaking and the plan really
is to be to begin the siphoning of the
industrial fuel oil from the tank
beginning tomorrow Tuesday and to siphon
at least 300,000 L of oil for about a
week's time so that hopefully the vessel
will flow to the surface and it will be
recovered and uh taken back to the shore
okay so from what you're saying there's
a lot of effort being made and there are
attempts to get um any sightings of any
oil to be reported but of course all of
this is quite hypothetical it sounds
like and I presume that the threat to
the environment ment is is also from the
fuel powering the vessel as well as the
oil that it is carrying now given that
several attempts to recover uh the
sunken tanker uh have failed I mean what
is the plan if all of this that you've
just told us doesn't work how are they
going to deal with this potentially
disastrous
situation mhm um well initially from
from our conversation with the Coast
Guard earlier they seemed positive that
the scale of the catastrophe or of this
event is already minimal um they have
told us that from um 12 to 14 kilm of
the coverage of the oil spill it has
reduced to about 2 to four nautical
miles going south Southeast but you are
absolutely right even though that there
are already measures to try to contain
this spill the reality is this spill has
already happened and so really the the
the response here is to try to mitigate
and prevent as much catastrophy from
happening what it means for the Wild for
the marine life in in Manila Bay is that
you know it could very much affect uh
the fish and um production and fish
catch a lot of the fishermen have
already voiced out um their concerns
that they would not be able to fish um
in Manila Bay there have already been
restrictions
and bands in some areas that are already
known to be affected by The Spill and
really the the hope is that it would no
longer spread out so much that would
affect more um Coastal communities um
that really depend on the on the on the
marine life on Manila Bay all right
journalist jesset o anano reporting
there uh from Manila on this oil spill
thank you so much for your time
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