Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) is seeking immediate livelihood support to fishing families affected by the oil spill triggered by the sinking of MT Princess Empress in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro last week.
Pamalakaya said the oil spill has spread to the province of Antique and affected some 1,200 fisherfolk and coastal residents in at least three coastal villages in Semirara Island and the town of Caluya.
“The effects of oil spill in fishing grounds are very grave. This will surely cause a drop in fish catch because of the destruction of coral reefs and mangroves that serve as home for fish. Both the local and national government should also prepare for a possible fish kill due to the contamination of water,” said Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya national chairperson.
Hicap added they are closely coordinating with members in Panay for damage and impact assessment of the oil spill on marine resources and coastal communities to produce a report that will be submitted to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Pamalakaya also urged the government to compel the owner of the MT Princess Empress to provide compensatory damage and underwrite the cleanup cost of the oil spill.
DENR earlier identified RDC Reield Marine Services Inc. as the owner of the vessel.
The BFAR committed an initial P4 million as immediate livelihood assistance for fisherfolk engaged in capture fishing as the provincial government enforces a fishing ban in the affected areas.
Demosthenes Escoto, BFAR national director, said the livelihood assistance is in the form of post-harvest training and equipment, specifically 10 smokehouses for fish processing.
Escoto said raw materials for fish processing will be sourced from Occidental Mindoro and nearby areas not affected by the oil spill.
The BFAR in partnership with the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority will also implement Operation Plan Kadiwa Isda, an existing project that supports fisherfolk through market linkages.
Escoto said fisheries cooperatives in Occidental and Oriental Mindoro will be linked in a trade fish as BFAR provides logistical support such as reefer vans.
Aside from livelihood intervention, the agency is also extending technical assistance to the local government unit by conducting laboratory testing of water and fish samples gathered from the affected areas to see if these are safe for fishing activities.
To date, some 11,000 fisherfolk families in Naujan, Pola and neighboring areas suffer from the effect of the oil spill, according to local government reports.
