Fisherfolk have expressed great alarm over the sinking of the MT Terra Nova, a ship carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel (crude oil for engines) that sank at Lamao Point, seven kilometers off the coast of Limay, Bataan on July 25. The ship capsized amid strong winds and waves brought by the southwest monsoons and Typhoon Carina. Some of the oil has already leaked and created a 3.7 kilometer “oil slick” that allegedly comes from the ship’s fuel tank, and not its oil cargo.

“We are extremely concerned about this incident at sea that could result in a large oil spill in Manila Bay,” Pamalakaya said. “We cannot afford to have another ecological disaster in our fishing resources.”

For now, fishing is prohibited in the area. Thousands of fisherfolk are set to be affected if the oil spills from the ship. The coast guard said if the oil cargo leaks, it will potentially be the largest oil spill in the Philippines, reaching the coasts of Metro Manila.

The MT Terra Nova attempted to sail from Bataan to deliver its cargo of oil to the island of Panay. The captain tried but failed to return the ship to the shore. This ship is owned by Shogun Ships Co. Inc, a company that has a long-term contract with Petron Corporation, a company owned by Ramon Ang. Petron runs an oil refinery in Bataan.

Mindoro fisherfolk are now still bearing the brunt of the oil spill of the MT Princess Empress, another vessel contracted by Petron. Despite the extensive and long-term effects of this oil spill, Petron refused to accept responsibility.

Pamalakaya’s latest estimate say 28,000 fisherfolk are directly affected by the southwest monsoon and Typhoon Carina along the coasts of Navotas, Bulacan and Cavite alone. In fact, the strong southwest monsoon has been preventing Cavite fisherfolk from fishing for two months.

The group calls for the government to urgently address the needs of fisherfolk. “Fisherfolk and the coastal poor need the government’s prompt and concrete response more than ever, to prevent the greater and long-term damage of Typhoon Carina,” he said.