Iloilo oil spill can be the ‘coronavirus of the sea’

By Alex P. Vidal

 

“Many people believe the whole catastrophe is the oil we spill, but that gets diluted and eventually disarmed over time. In fact, the oil we don’t spill, the oil we collect, refine and use, produces CO2 and other gases that don’t get diluted.” —Carl Safina

 

WHILE Covid-19 causes respiratory ailments to humans, an oil spill can cause an irreparable damage to marine life.

In fact, an oil spill in the ocean can be compared to the coronavirus in the land in terms of the magnitude of destruction to habitat and human life.

When dealing with oil and chemical spills like what happened on July 3 in Iloilo City, Guimaras, and Dumangas, Iloilo, there are many questions that need to be answered.

What was spilled?

Where is the spill likely to travel in the water?

How is the local environment affected now—and how might it be affected down the road?

What’s the best way to clean up the spill?

How will balance be restored to the environment after the damage has been done?

Aside from what happened in Iloilo City recently, there are thousands of oil and chemical spills in coastal waters around the world each year.

These spills range from small ship collisions to fuel transfer mishaps to massive spill events.

 

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After news of the Iloilo power barge explosion in Tank No. 1 of Power Barge 102, which is operated by Ayala-owned AC Energy Philippines spread over the weekend, we remember the oil spill on August 11, 2006, when the oil tanker M/T Solar 1, hired by Petron Corporation, sank off the coast of Guimaras Island, spilling more than 2.1 million liters (about 555,000 gallons) of bunker fuel.

As confirmed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Guimaras crisis in 2006 had affected 1,500 hectares (more than 3,700 acres) of the local ecosystem comprised of mangroves, seagrass, and coral reefs.

Until today, it is still known as the worst oil spill in the Philippines’ history.

We may not immediately notice the destruction of marine life in the areas affected by the July 3 Iloilo City oil spill but fish, shellfish, and corals can come into contact with oil once they have been mixed into the water column.

 

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The release of oil and chemicals into coastal waterways can definitely  kill wildlife, destroy habitat, and contaminate critical resources in the food chain.

Spills can also wreak havoc on the economies of coastal communities by forcing the closure of fisheries, driving away tourists, or temporarily shutting down navigation routes.

And these environmental and economic damages can linger for decades.
Shellfish can also be exposed to the intertidal zone.

Adult fish may experience reduced growth, enlarged livers, changes in heart and respiration rates, fin erosion, and reproduction impairment when exposed to oil.

Also, fish eggs and larvae can be especially sensitive to lethal and sublethal impacts.

Oil can make fish and shellfish unsafe for humans to eat even when lethal impacts are not observed.

 

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Scientists try to pinpoint which areas may have been most affected by a given spill.

They do this by looking at the creatures that live in the sediment and analyzing whether or not the sediment has become toxic to these organisms.

This kind of “bioeffects” research helps scientists understand how contamination is affecting the food chain.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS), oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters, and the water repellency of a bird’s feathers, thus exposing these creatures to the harsh elements. Without the ability to repel water and insulate from the cold water, birds and mammals will reportedly die from hypothermia.

It added that juvenile sea turtles can also become trapped in the oil and mistake it for food.

Dolphins and whales can also inhale the oil, which can affect lungs, immune function and reproduction.

Many birds and animals also ingest oil when they try to clean themselves, which can poison them, explained the NOS.

 

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)