Effects of Seismic Survey to Marine Life, People and the Fisherfolk Sector

The Visayan Sea is home to diverse marine life which will be greatly affected by offshore mining. Photos by Yowee Gonzales

Effects of seismic survey to marine life: fish, invertebrates, marine turtles, marine mammals - whales, whale sharks, coral reefs , and others.

A seismic survey is conducted in a particular area to quantify the amount of deposited natural gases and minerals, like oil or petroleum.

1. Seismic blasting can damage the hearing structures, (McCauley et al. 2003)
2. Cause body tissues to hemorrhage (hastings, 1995)
3. And damage reproductive organs in marine organisms (Jensen and Alberdice, 1989)
4. Seismic blasting can cause behavioral modifications and reduce or eliminate available habitat for breeding / spawning, foraging and migration (Richardson et al. 1986; Harris et al. 2001; McCauley et al. 2000; McCauley et al. 1998)
5. Seismic noises can alter fish distribution by tens of kilometers (Slotte et al. 2004; Engas et al. 1996)
6. Seismic blasting can elicit physiological stress and neural-immune responses in Marine organisms (Santulli et al. 1998; Romano et al. 2004)
7. Seismic blasting damages planktonic eggs and larvae found in the immediate vicinity of airguns (Dalen and Knutsen, 1985)
8. Seismic blasting can reduce catches in commercial fisheries (Slotte et al. 2004; Soldal and Loekkeborg, 1993; Engas et al. 1996; Skalski et al. 1992
9. The impact of the sound underwater tends to bursts air bladders (i.e. swim bladders for fish, lungs for marine mammals and the animals may have well sunk to the ocean floor from ruptured lungs. Andrea Leonor Bautista,manager, Cetacean Research and Conservation Project - WWF. (inq7.net. Thu, Sep 08, 2005)

Air pollution: Offshore natural gas drilling causes a significant amount of air pollution. Each offshore oil platform generates approximately 214,000 pounds of air pollutants each year (National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration).

An average exploration well for oil or natural gasgenerates some 50 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), 13 tons of carbon monoxide, 6 tons of sulfurdioxide, and 5 tons of volatile organic hydrocarbons7. These pollutants are the precursors to smog, acid
rain and contribute to global warming.

Water pollution: Oil and Gas drilling operations generate huge amounts of waste that is discarded intowater. According to the National Academy of Sciences, a single well produces between 1500 and 2000 TONS of waste material.

Debris includes drill cuttings, which is rock ground into pieces by the bit;and drilling mud brought up during the drilling process. This mud contains toxic metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury. Other pollutants, such as benzene, arsenic, zinc and other known carcinogens and radioactive materials are routinely released in “produced water,” which emerges when water is brought up from a well along with the oil or gas.

Oil Spills: Oil is extremely toxic to a wide variety of marine species, and current cleanup methods are incapable of removing more then a small fraction of the oil spilled in marine waters. Offshore drilling platforms and pipelines spilled 1.8 million gallons of oil in U.S. waters from 1990-1999 in 224 reported accidents – that’s an average of almost 500 gallons a day.

FIDEC Executive Director Vince Cinches in dialogue with local fisherfolk leaders in Tajao, Piamungajan, one of the affected areas along Tañon Strait. Photo by Yowee Gonzales

Unpaid gango and payao (fish pens) during the Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd. (Japex) oil exploration:

FIDEC CONDUCTS PRESS CONFERENCE ON GUIMARAS OIL SPILL LAST AUGUST 27, 2006

photo courtesy of Greenpeace

PRESS STATEMENT
MAKE PETRON ACCOUNTABLE. ALL FOR REHABILITATION.

We should not ease our campaign stand that Petron should be held accountable for the worst environmental tragedy that occurs in our water. We should put in mind that there were only 200,000 of the 2.19 million (500,000+ gallons) liters has been released to our seas and the rest of the bunker oil is a 'ticking time bomb' waiting to become our worst nightmare yet. This is a national calamity that needs action and cooperation of the entire nation, while those who are involved should be meted the harshest means possible, there is an immediate need to salvage and surface the tanker.

We condemn Petron Corporation and Sunshine Maritime Development Corporation for repeatedly ignoring international maritime restrictions in its greed for profit, and for refusing to take charge of the critical situation it has wrought. We are likewise holding the government accountable to the Filipino people for the continuing loss of livelihood and marine resources its incompetence has brought about and for allowing the ship captain to continue plying despite possessing an expired license and likewise allowing single-hulled tanker.

Petron should be made accountable for the long-term rehabilitation of the affected marine sanctuaries, mangrove areas, reefs and coastal ecosystem and that the insurance money amounting to 250 million dollars to 300 million dollars should go directly to compensation and rehabilitation of the marine ecosystem. Since more than 3,918 families made up of about 26,000 people were fisherfolk whose catch could not be sold and more than 320 kilometers of coast line, 58 hectares of seaweed, and 454 hectares of mangroves were destroyed by the oil spill.

It is disheartening and we deplore to hear that our national government doesn’t have the expertise to deal with this kind of accident – it seems that they in the government are more concern in ensuring the profiteering of oil corporations. The government must learn from this disaster and put in place policies and create specially trained response personnel to protect the marine environment and millions of Filipinos who rely on them for food and livelihood such as compelling Oil corporations to put up an Oil Spill Trust Fund.