The 11 August 2006 sinking of MT Solar I carrying ~2
million liters of bunker fuel off Guimaras Strait has
caused the worst oil spill in Philippine history,
wreaking havoc on both fisherfolk and marine life in
coastal towns and villages in the provinces of Guimaras,
Iloilo and Negros Occidental. While the response from
government and other sectors has been unprecedented, at
times it has also been uncoordinated due to limited
availability of scientific and technical information.
To explain the science of oil spills, the Philippine
Association of Marine Science (PAMS) and the Pew Fellows
Program convened a roundtable discussion on the
biophysical and chemical aspects of oil spills (with
focus on the Guimaras event) at the SEAFDEC Aquaculture
Department in Tigbauan, Iloilo on 15 September 2006.
Funds and other resources were generously provided by
the Iloilo Provincial Government (through the Provincial
Councilors League and Save Our Lives-SOS Panay Guimaras),
Haribon Foundation, PCAMRD-UP Visayas, and SEAFDEC/AQD.
The objective of the meeting was to build scenarios of
the Solar I Oil Spill to guide ongoing research and
coordinate future assessments such that resources and
expertise can be maximized.
The meeting brought together some 60 participants mainly
scientists from the University of the Philippines system
(UP Visayas, UP-Marine Science Institute, UP-Natural
Science Research Institute), SEAFDEC/AQD and other
institutions, but also representatives of local
governments in the affected areas, national government
agencies and nongovernment organizations involved in the
clean-up, and print/television media. After listening to
background papers (e.g., Dispersal of Oil Spill,
Petroleum Oil and its Fate in the Marine Environment,
Microbes vs Hydrocarbons) and updates, the group formed
separate workshops to brainstorm the relevant issues,
prioritize research directions, and define coordination
mechanisms.
The workshops generated a list of biological and
physicochemical/microbiological researchable topics to
be conducted in the affected areas, and recommended the
preparation of a PowerPoint lecture on the biophysico-chemical
aspects of oil spills for information dissemination,
Directory of Scientific Experts, and list of frequently
asked questions (FAQs) such as: Can we touch the oil?
Can we eat the fish? Is it safe to swim? The Proceedings
document all of these, and also the background papers,
list of participants and Conference Statement that
highlights priority actions.
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