Visayas Oil Spill

ILOILO CITY, Philippines--A militant national fisherfolk alliance has urged Congress to pass a comprehensive rehabilitation law for Guimaras Island after scientists reported a massive drop in the fish supply in the waters off the province.

The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya or the National Fishers Movement of the Philippines) called on lawmakers to pass a law that would set aside P20 billion for a 10-year rehabilitation program for areas ravaged by 2.1 million liters of bunker fuel that was spilled into the waters and shoreline of Guimaras after M/T Solar I sank off the coast of the island on Aug. 11, 2006.

"We hope the Senate and the House of Representatives will take this proposal seriously. The rehabilitation of Guimaras is a matter of life and death, not only among the people of Guimaras and Iloilo, but for the entire Filipino people. The fish need and food security of the people is at stake here," said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a statement.

Hicap made the call after marine scientists released results of studies that showed that fish supply in oil spill affected areas dropped by 65 percent. The drastic drop in fish supply was recorded in six monitoring sites in Guimaras from samples taken regularly during the days shortly after the oil spill and also in 2007.

The research cited by Hicap was done by a team of marine science experts from the University of the Philippines-Visayas headed by Dr. Wilfredo Campos, who is also president of the Philippine Association of Marine Science (PAMS). Campos said the studies that were conducted starting two weeks after the oil spill in August 2006 until this year, showed a drop in fish density, biomass and diversity compared to the figures recorded in the same areas in 2001.

The findings of a research team headed by Campos was presented during the 9th National Symposium in Marine Science of the PAMS held in Iloilo City last week.

Hicap pointed out that the Guimaras Strait is one of the most productive fishing grounds in the country, capable of producing an average of 50,000 metric tons of fish per year.

The 65-percent drop in the production of fish supply in Guimaras could be translated to a drop of 32,500 metric tons in total fish production, from 50,000 metric tons in previous years to 17,500 metric tons this year, according to Hicap.

He said that aside from Guimaras Strait, the only other fishing grounds capable of yielding 50,000 metric tons of fish were the fishing grounds of Moro Gulf, East Sulu Sea, Visayan Sea, South Sulu Sea and Bohol Sea. These areas contribute to one-half of the country's total annual production in the country.

The 1,143-hectare Taklong Island National Marine Reserve (TINMAR) is located in Guimaras.

Pamalakaya is pushing for the creation of a P20-billion rehabilitation fund from Petron Corp. (P15 billion) and the national government (P5 billion).

The group has accused Petron of being liable for the sinking of the tanker and the oil spill, a claim repeatedly denied by the giant oil firm.

Pamalakaya said the comprehensive Guimaras rehabilitation program should be undertaken for 10 years, with an annual budgetary allocation of P2 billion.

Hicap said half of the budget should be spent for economic, health and other social needs of Guimaras and Iloilo residents affected by the oil spill, while the remaining 50 percent should be allocated for the technical, logistical and scientific aspects of the rehabilitation.

He stressed that the comprehensive rehabilitation fund was urgent amid the continued delay of the release of the bulk of the P863-million fund intended for rehabilitation programs and livelihood projects.

Only around P200 million has been released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) because of the May 14 elections and bureaucratic procedures.

($1 = P43.67)