Oil slick from sunken ship covers 1,000 yards of water

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The oil slick coming from the sunken M/V Asia Malaysia has approximately covered around 1,000 yards of the territorial waters of Calabasa Island in Ajuy, Iloilo, as of yesterday morning.

Ajuy town Mayor Juancho Alvarez however told The FREEMAN that fishing activities have not been affected so far.

Members of the Ajuy Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) yesterday met to discuss the possible effects of the oil slick and how it could be mitigated. Members of the Philippine Coast Guard-Western Visayas were also invited to shed light on how it could be prevented, together with chairmen of 18 coastal barangays of Ajuy, which incidentally has two island resorts.

Alvarez said: “I asked them (barangay captains) if the oil slick reached their barangays and if it has affected the fishing activities in their area. But so far, they all said no,” he added.

Based on PCG briefing, the ill-fated vessel is now found on the territorial waters of Manapla town of Negros Occidental. The prevailing direction of the wind and the water current also suggested that the oil slick is going to the direction of that town. “If the wind and the waves would not change direction, it wouldn’t affect us,” Alvarez said quoting PCG officials.

The PCG earlier estimated that the ill-fated M/V Asia Malaysia carried around 21,000 liters of fuel, the 5,000 liters of which were intended for generator’s use. On the other hand, 16,000 liters of blended fuel, which are usually composed of 60 percent diesel and 40 percent bunker fuel, were for the main engine’s use.

Based on the underwater survey conducted by PCG divers, the vessel is releasing five liters of fuel every minute. As of yesterday morning, they estimated that 7,000 liters of fuel have been leaked to the sea. At that rate, it will take two to three days before all the fuel will be dried up, authorities said.

“But the Coast Guard assured me that they are now acting on that. They have already set up their oil spill boom to contain the slick. They have also sprayed dispersant to the affected areas,” said Alvarez.

In case the slick will affect the livelihood of the residents and tourism in the area, Alvarez said they would mull asking for damages from Trans Asia Shipping Lines, Inc., operator of M/V Asia Malaysia.

Further earlier, Commodore Athelo Ybañez, district commander of PCG-Western Visayas, said the fuel carried by M/V Asia Malaysia was relatively smaller in volume that of tanker vessels, which carry two million litres of fuel.

Ybañez said the sinking of M/V Asia Malaysia could not be likened to the oil tanker M/T Solar 1 that sunk off the Guimaras Strait in August 11, 2006. - THE FREEMAN