An environmental scientist claimed the impacts of the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress off Oriental Mindoro may last for several years and may eventually affect the food supply.
Dr. Hernando Bacosa, an environmental science professor at Mindanao State University-Iligan City, claimed that despite the placing of oil spill booms, the oil spill spread because of the sea’s strong current.
Notwithstanding the fact that specialists were still determining the precise impacts of the Verde Island passage oil spill, he said, it was certain that those effects would last for years and eventually have an impact on food supplies.
“Based on my experience in the state of Texas in the USA, it usually takes years and perhaps decades to really go back to the original state of the environment,” Bacosa said.
“We know very rich ang area sa biodiversity so pagna-disrupt mo yung pagkain ng ganitong isda or marine organism, chain reaction yan sa food web natin na maapektuhan yung ability ng fish to lay eggs, nababaog ang isda,” he added.
