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Spanish energy firm Repsol said a clear-up operation for a major oil spill on the coast near Peru’s capital Lima would take until the end of February, in an environmental incident declared a “catastrophe” by the government.
Dead seals, fish and birds have washed up on the shore covered in oil, while fishing activities in the area have been suspended, the government has said. Repsol said on Friday it had enlisted fishermen to help clear up the oil.
“I used to collect crustaceans, but now, when I walk to the shore they are dead,” said fisherman Walter de la Cruz. “Fishermen used to go sell the seafood that we collect. But now everything smells like death.”
The Pacific Ocean off Peru is a significant source of marine life and seafood for Peruvians.
The government has said Repsol spilled some 6,000 barrels of oil into the ocean last week near its La Pampilla refinery, which the company has blamed on unusual waves triggered by a volcanic eruption in Tonga.
The company has declined to state the magnitude of the spill, saying it is still evaluating the effect.
JW
Article URL : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/22/catastrophe-peru-oil-spill-clean-up-to-take-weeks