Oil spill off Changi East: Singapore reports

Some Singapore and Malaysian fisherman not going out to sea as they fear oil will ruin nets
Jessica Lim & Melissa Kok Straits Times 1 Jun 10;


Singapore fisherman Lim Chee Pew (above), 39, making a new net yesterday. He said the recent oil spill has not stopped him from going out to sea, although some fishermen have decided not to work rather than risk damaging their nets. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

THE worst may be over, but fishermen on both sides of the Causeway say they are not out of troubled waters just yet.

While much of last Tuesday's oil spill off Changi has been cleared, patches of the slick remain out at sea and could still be washed onto Singapore's eastern coast over the next few days.

Therefore, fishermen like Mr Ivan Foo, 57, will continue to wait it out, despite not going out to sea for the past five days.

The father of three estimates that the oil spill has cost him more than $600 in potential earnings. But despite the lack of income, he is not about to go back to work.

'The water in the Pulau Ubin area is still black and patchy. I dare not put the net down in the water, the oil will spoil it,' said Mr Foo, who added that the oil will harden and possibly damage his net, which cost him more than $1,000.

Fisherman Yeo Miang Joo, 50, is playing it safe too.

'The oil will make my net stick together,' he said, adding that he is keeping a lookout and hopes to start fishing in two days.

'It is better to be safe. If my net cannot be used anymore, who will compensate me?'

According to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), there are currently 38 licensed coastal fishermen in Singapore who contribute 10 per cent of locally produced fish.

The rest comes from fish farms - although locally produced fish make up only about 5 per cent of the total amount of fish consumed in Singapore.

But while fishermen remain cautious, the AVA said yesterday that it has not suspended the harvesting of fish from the sea.

'The oil patches that remain are small ones,' said its spokesman Goh Shih Yong. 'Fishermen are encouraged to continue fishing and avoid those oil patches.'

The AVA said checks show that both farmed and fresh fish in Singapore are safe for consumption, and it has intensified checks of the coastal waters and fish for food safety.

Malaysian fishermen are just as concerned as their Singapore counterparts.

Pengerang Fishermen's Association president Abu Bakar Mohammad said the oil spill, which hit the area stretching from Tanjung Pengelih in Johor to Desaru, has affected more than 1,200 fishermen. Tanjung Pengelih, located near Changi and Pulau Tekong, is close to the Singapore-Malaysia border.

Many fishermen have not been able to work since last Tuesday, with some reportedly losing as much as RM2,000 (S$850) in earnings per day.

However, a process has been put in place for fishermen seeking compensation for lost earnings.

'The fishermen can first make a police report, and the association will liaise with the fishery department involved to arrange meetings to discuss an agreement on compensation,' said Mr Abu Bakar in Malay.

Still, it may take about a month before they see any results, which is why Mr Abu Bakar is considering asking the Malaysian government to help the affected fishermen in the meantime. He added that the fishermen could soon go back to work as the oil slick should be cleaned up in two to three days.

But some fishermen have questioned whether their colleagues are overreacting.

Singapore fisherman Lim Chee Pew, 39, said the oil spill has yet to force him to stop fishing.

'If you see black stuff floating on the surface, just avoid it,' he said, scoffing at the possibility of a spoiled net. 'What is so difficult?'

The spill occurred after oil tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3, laden with 62,000 tonnes of crude oil, collided with bulk carrier MV Waily early on Tuesday morning, 13km off Changi East.

About 2,500 tonnes of oil leaked into the sea, causing a 4 sq km slick as the tanker moved to anchor in a safe place.

Containment and clean-up efforts continue to show positive results, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in a statement issued yesterday. As of yesterday, waters from Changi Naval Base to East Coast Park were clear of any oil patches. The National Environment Agency also reported that East Coast Beach and Changi Beach have been cleared of oil stains.

'The possibility of small isolated patches of oil with debris surfacing remains,' said a spokesman, who added that the MPA will continue to monitor the waters closely and carry out the necessary clean-up efforts. 'The various craft involved in the containment and clean-up efforts remain deployed at sea round the clock to deal with any oil patches that may surface.

Fish farms prepared to run tests to ease oil contamination fears
Jessica Yeo & Ng Lian Cheong Channel NewsAsia 31 May 10;

SINGAPORE : Eight local fish farms said they are prepared to fork out their own money to conduct tests on their products to prove that their seafood is safe for consumption.

According to a researcher from the National University of Singapore, some locally-produced and locally-caught seafood may be affected due to the oil spill following the collision of two vessels last Tuesday.

Her advice is to eat less locally-produced seafood over the next two weeks.

"Within the two weeks of the spill, the contaminated seawater may still be pushed back to Singapore waters. Although they will be removed over time, there may still be residual oil. This may contaminate fishes from the kelongs or those caught by fishermen," said Dr Ng Ngan Kee, an instructor of Systematics & Ecology Laboratory at National University of Singapore.

Fish farmers disagree, and are willing to put their fish to the test.

"If there are such concerns, then we can send the fish for a third-party independent lab to do an autopsy and a full analysis to look for any chemical residue. For the consumers, they'll have a peace of mind when they eat the fish," said Lee Van Voon, chairman of the Singapore Marine Aquaculture Cooperative.

MediaCorp understands that fish farms have stopped feeding their fishes since the oil slick last Tuesday (25 May).

This prevents the fish from surfacing and consuming the oil stains.

Fish farmers said fishes can easily survive a week without food as they can survive on their own body fats. - CNA /ls '

No long weekend joy for East Coast businesses
Straits Times 1 Jun 10;

A LONG weekend is when shops usually rake in more money.

Yet for a number of businesses along East Coast Park, the three-day Vesak weekend was a quiet one as a result of last week's oil spill.

The Straits Times spoke to owners of shops, ranging from bicycle rental stores to small cafes, and they bemoaned the lack of crowds during the normally busy weekend, which left many with takings down by as much as half.

Mr William Ho, who for the last decade has run the Kit Runners bicycle rental store, one of seven along the beach, estimated he lost as much as $5,000 over the three days.

Mr Ho, who averages around 800 bike rentals a day on weekends, said this plummeted to just 200 last weekend. Takings shrunk from around $7,000 to $2,000.

He blames this on the beach closure, which the authorities took as a precaution after a 7.2km stretch was found to be polluted by the oil slick.

Mr Erhan Narin, 32, the manager of Turkish eatery Kebab Station, said the restaurant saw an average of 150 people a day over the three-day weekend, about half its normal crowd.

But others, such as Tung Lok Seafood restaurant, said business remained strong over the weekend. Its deputy manager, Ms Yuki Goh, said it managed to hit its daily takings target of $20,000 over the weekend.

She added that although many customers with pre-bookings had called in advance to ask whether the kerosene smell from the oil slick had wafted into the restaurant, there were few cancellations.

AMRESH GUNASINGHAM

Waters off Singapore's southeastern coastline clear of oil
Yahoo News 31 May 10;

SINGAPORE (AFP) – Waters off Singapore's southeastern coastline have been cleared of oil after seven days of containment and cleaning efforts, port authorities said Monday.

"As of 31 May 2010, waters from Changi Naval Base to East Coast Park were clear of any oil patches," said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in a press release issued Monday evening.

Oil patches which had drifted into Malaysian waters were also being cleaned up, said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

"Clean-up efforts are under way and based on our assessments, it will be completed in three days," an MMEA spokesman told AFP.

No new oil patches had drifted into Malaysian waters since Sunday, Singapore's MPA added.

"We did not receive any further reports or sightings of oil patches in Malaysia waters off Tanjong Pengelih today," an MPA spokeswoman told AFP.

On Sunday, the MPA said patches of oil had been sighted off Tanjong Pengelih in southern Malaysia and waters off Singapore's eastern coast.

The spill came from the Malaysian-registered MT Bunga Kelana 3, a tanker carrying 62,000 tonnes of crude when it collided last Tuesday off Singapore with the MV Waily, a bulk carrier registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

About 2,500 tonnes of crude leaked from a gash in the double-hulled tanker but most of it was contained at sea, according to the MPA.

Singapore is a compact island republic known for its strict environmental standards, but the heavy maritime traffic off its coasts makes it vulnerable to the effects of shipping disasters.

Containment & clean-up of oil slick continue to show positive results
Mustafa Shafawi Channel NewsAsia 1 Jun 10;

SINGAPORE : Containment and clean-up efforts following the oil spill from the collision between MV Bunga Kelana 3 and MV Waily continue to show positive results on the eighth day.

The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said waters in Singapore's port, including the anchorages around Pulau Tekong and Pulau Ubin, were clear of any oil patches.

Waters from Changi Naval Base to East Coast Park and the Singapore Strait south of Changi remain clear of oil patches.

MPA said it will continue to monitor the waters closely and carry out necessary clean-up efforts. Various craft involved in the containment and clean-up efforts remain deployed at sea to deal with any oil patches that may surface.

MPA said it will also continue to work with the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities.

The public can contact MPA's 24-hour Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325-2489 to report any sighting of oil slick in Singapore's waters or coastlines.

- CNA/al