TANZA, Philippines: An oil spill from a marine tanker that capsized off the coast of Manila Bay in the Philippines has reached the shores of a nearby fishing village, threatening the health and livelihood of fishermen, as efforts began to mop up the fuel.
MT Terra Nova was carrying 1.5 million litres of industrial fuel when it sank in rough seas off the coast of Limay in the province of Bataan, west of the Philippine capital, on Thursday. One member of the 17-strong crew was killed.
Fishermen in the town of Tanza in Cavite province, south of Manila, were distraught after the oil slick landed on the town’s shores and they reported smelling a foul odour.
“This oil spill will have a big effect on us fishermen because we rely on the sea and it has been affected by the oil,” said 48-year-old Renan Honsana.
“We would need to sell our catches very cheap because people would not buy it. Where can we get our livelihood except from this sea?” Honsana added.
