Overturned Ship Oil Spill In Philippines Capai Fisherman City, Ancam Mata Pencaharian

Oil spill in Quebec, QC, Canada/ILLUSTRATION OF UNSPLASH/Alex Albert

The oil spill from the overturned sea tanker off the coast of Manila Bay, Philippines, reaches the coast of the nearest fishing village. This condition threatens the health and livelihood of fishermen.

MT Terra Nova carried 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel while drowning in a violent sea off the coast of Limay in Bataan province, west of the Philippine capital, on Thursday last week. One of the 17 crew members was killed.

Fishermen in Tanza city in Cavite province, south of Manila, are desperate after an oil spill landed on the city's beach and they reported a foul smell.

"This oil spill will have a major impact on us fishermen because we depend on the sea and it is affected by oil," said Renan Honsana, 48, as reported by Reuters, Monday, July 29.

"We have to sell our catch at a very cheap price because people don't want to buy it. Where we can make a living except through this sea," added Honsana.

The Philippine coast guard said they had blocked the leakage from the capsized tanker and would start drinking oil to prevent more fuel from leaking.

They surveyed the waters of Limay, Bulacan and Cavite by air and observed "minimum oil brightness".

Officials are investigating whether the sinking of the ship had anything to do with Topan Gaemi, which exacerbated the monsoon rain in the Philippines, which triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 36 people.