Dubbed the “Amazon of the oceans,” the VIP is home to 1,700 fish species and 300 coral species, and is considered the “center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity.”
“We are calling [on] the government to protect VIP. The large volume of oil that spilled into our seas is a wake-up call. Nature is damaged, and our food and livelihood are also affected. Ships carrying oil and gas shouldn’t be allowed to sail through VIP. Those responsible for the destruction of VIP should be held accountable,” Leizel Amol, a Batangas resident, said in Filipino.
Even before the Oriental Mindoro oil spill, local fisherfolk and local government units along the Verde Island Passage have already reported an alarming decrease in fish catch. “No less than the DENR, a party to the agreement, is entertaining applications for environmental compliance certificates for proposed fossil gas projects. Faithful enforcement of the agreement means agencies like DENR pulling the plug [on] the mad rush for fossil fuel projects by promoting cleaner renewable energy alternatives and doubling efforts to protect VIP,” he added.
Apart from the five provincial governments, the DENR, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine Coast Guard, and Philippine National Police also signed the 2017 MOA.To prevent future accidents from endangering the VIP, PMJC senior energy program officer Larry Pascua said the area should be made a “no-go zone” for oil tankers.
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