Study Shows Human Interactions Have Bigger Impact than Oil Spill

A study of the University of the Philippines- Visayas (Iloilo) revealed that human interactions have bigger impact to the mangroves in Cordova than the oil spill which resulted to the collision of two ships last year.

The study, which focused on the oil spill reportedly caused by the sunken 2GO passenger ship, was conducted by UPV Iloilo last April.

According to the study, as published by the Cebu Provincial Capitol’s website, “Numerous on-going anthropogenic activities such as the construction of structures that impede normal tidal flushing, harvesting for firewood and others may have greater effect on mangroves that a single event of an oil spill.”

The study, commissioned by 2Go, was conducted by a UPV Iloilo professors headed by Resurreccion Sadaba.

Sadaba said since the town has allowed “coastal developments,” there should be “robust monitoring and data gathering mechanisms” to understand the entire situation.

Cordova, which sued owners of 2GO’s MV St. Thomas Aquinas and Sulpicio Express Siete, for the massive oil spill, claimed damages to its mangrove plantations in barangays Bangbang, Day-as, Buagsong, Catarman, and Poblacion.

The study, however, said that about 29 percent of the town’s 144.9 hectares of mangrove forest suffered from that spillage.

The researchers also noted a high toxicity level in shellfish and crab samples and that water samples, they took from the affected area, were also “below and within the recommended safe level.”

“Hence, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations in seafood tissues collected on these sites maybe due to chronic inputs rather than the effects of a one-time oil spill,” said Prof. Ida Pahila, one of the researchers.