The cleaning of beaches in an area of the country continues after almost 20 days of reporting the environmental catastrophe. While Repsol, the Spanish company that caused the damage, faces investigations for administrative and criminal liability, 40% of rescued animals do not survive the contamination of their bodies, and the paralysis of the economic chain around local fishing affects hundreds of families .
The Peruvian authorities have already classified it as “the worst ecological disaster that has occurred in Lima in recent times.” To date, official figures from the Ministry of the Environment indicate that the oil spilled on the coasts extends over more than seven million square meters of sea. The toxic water has also damaged the shores and strips of 24 beaches for a total of almost two million square meters.
The misfortune has as its starting point last January 15, when a ship unloaded crude oil in one of the terminals of the La Pampilla refinery, owned by the Repsol company. Since then, the Spanish corporation has insisted that abnormal waves caused by the eruption of the Tonga submarine volcano broke the vessel’s connections and that it did correctly apply its contingency plan, approved by the Peruvian state in 2015.
However, with the passing of days, what the company communicated has become inconsistent. Last Friday, the Peruvian government informed the public that the spill was about 11,900 barrels of oil and not just 6,000, as Repsol had previously said. In addition, the captain of the Italian ship contracted for the unloading reported that the company had not responded in time before the emergency.
“There are various legal responsibilities for which Repsol is going to have to answer; all equally important. There is administrative responsibility for failing to comply with preventive measures, but there are also other infractions for giving inaccurate or false information on the number of barrels spilled and because it has been shown that it did not have the contingency capacity that it claims to have had. On the other hand, there would also be criminal liability, for the crime of environmental pollution,” Carol Mora Paniagua, director of Politics and Governance of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA), explained to France 24.
As Mora points out, as a result of the disaster, Peru’s Environmental Assessment and Enforcement Agency (OEFA) opened a sanctioning process against the company and has already ordered a first fine of 18,400,000 soles, equivalent to more than 4,800,000 dollars. Furthermore, the Judiciary issued an impediment to leave the country for 18 months to four representatives of the multinational, including Jaime Fernández-Cuesta, its general manager. This, after accepting the request of the Prosecutor’s Office in the midst of criminal investigations.
Loss of species in the short and long term
The oil spill has killed dozens of marine species and birds that used to land on the beaches to feed. Carcasses of Humboldt penguins, pelicans, tendrils, boobies and swallows have washed up on the shores or are still visible in the waters. In addition, experts have warned about the loss of traces of feline loons, a species of otter that was already threatened and in danger of local extinction. It should be noted that contamination was also detected on islands considered natural protected areas.
France 24 interviewed Guillermo Ramos Bardalez, a biologist and technical administrator in Lima for the National Forest and Wildlife Service (Serfor). According to the official, the entity has managed to rescue more than 140 species affected by oil since January 17. However, 40%, that is, an amount greater than 50, did not survive the intoxication.
“We have been patrolling and collecting species inside and outside protected areas to take them to Las Leyendas Zoological Park, where they receive veterinary care. Our job is to locate, transport, condition and stabilize the affected animals. Let us remember that they are wild species, that do not usually have direct contact with humans, and that first of all, they are in shock and stress crises. The survival of those rescued is 60% because, in many cases, the animals are not only bathed in crude oil, but have also fed on contaminated fish or crustaceans. Saving them from this intake is usually impossible and they have died within a few days,” Ramos explained.
The Serfor, which is an entity dependent on the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, has opened collection points for animals on four beaches. Some citizens have also reported finds or taken species they found themselves. For Ramos, the damage does not end with the fauna that has already succumbed.
“As long as the oil continues to circulate in the water, we will continue to have affected animals. Although we have a more organized rescue strategy than in the first days and constant citizen support, the effect of all this is not going to end so soon. We have sent brigades to areas even further away from the center of the disaster, in Áncash, from where we have also transferred species. Speaking strictly as a biologist, the ecological damage is tremendous. There is a whole broken chain: not only large fauna, but also plankton, crustaceans, molluscs. There are invertebrates stranded totally black by oil, and that says a lot about what will be in the sea right now, ”he said.
In dialogue with this medium, the specialist in marine biodiversity, Yuri Hooker Mantilla, said that, although the spill in Lima has been of great magnitude, other regions of Peru have had similar cases that have not attracted sufficient and due attention.
“In the Amazon, spills are quite frequent, but many times they go unnoticed due to this cultural rupture that we have in the country. [centralizado en la capital]. It is important to notice it because it is not something new. There is damage to the aquatic ecosystem that is not being addressed. On the other hand, already commenting on what happened in Lima, it is important to mention that the spill has occurred where the marine current of Peru, known as the Humboldt current, is dense and where very quickly a large part of this fuel has been carried towards the north, depositing in other coastal parts,” he said.
Hooker pointed out that, over time, species that appear to be in good health will be observed, but that die by consuming other infected marine animals. The specialist stressed that, in the country, there has not been enough commitment on the part of the governments to implement environmental policies that better protect Peruvian nature and toughen the requirements for extractive companies.
“The most representative of this problem has been the interview given by the general manager of Repsol a few days ago. Apart from saying that this could be cleaned in a short time —when the oil is already dispersed— he also said other absolutely false things like that ‘oil floats’ —when in truth it has heavy elements that do make it fall to the bottom of the sea. This is representative because what he shows is the little importance that many of these companies give to biodiversity and that they also feel untouchable when they have to assume responsibilities. This is a root issue that the current government and those to come must take very seriously,” he said.
State failures and little importance towards the environment
Last week, the Peruvian government announced the delivery of subsidies for people economically affected by the paralysis of local fishing. According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, this extraordinary delivery would be 1,000 soles (about 260 dollars) and would benefit, by family chain, about 100,000 people.
Lissette Vásquez Noblecilla, deputy for the Environment at the Ombudsman’s Office, told France 24 that the State’s reactions have not been the most effective in some matters. For example, she warned that her institution insists on greater information transparency and daily updating by the government on the measures it adopts.
Vásquez explained that the progress of a census of fishermen, merchants and other citizens harmed by the spill is unknown. The official also highlighted that, although the cleaning system has improved over the weeks, the state action was not initially what a disaster of such magnitude warranted. In certain cases, it is still limited.
On the other hand, Carol Mora, director of Politics and Governance of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA), stressed that, in Peru, “the environment has not had the political weight it deserves”, since from the State there are few guarantees of real administrative sanctions for offending companies.
“In addition to the responsibility of the company, we must say that there has been a late response from the State, which took almost a week to issue the declaration of environmental emergency. There was no protocol for action by the State itself in a scenario like this. In addition, there is a system of certain impunity in which the administrative fines that companies receive for environmental infractions can be challenged almost unlimitedly. The fines, certainly, do not return what was lost, but they can be emblematic so that the seriousness of the matter is internalized”, he referred.
A few weeks ago, the portal health with magnifying glass reported that Repsol had already registered up to 32 infractions for practices similar to those currently reported: environmental damage, inaccurate information, inadequate storage of solid waste and lack of monitoring. It should be remembered that the country has not yet ratified its adherence to the Escazú Agreement, a treaty between Latin American and Caribbean countries to strengthen access to information and justice on environmental issues. The approval of the project has not been scheduled among the priorities of the current Parliament.
The cleaning of beaches in an area of the country continues after almost 20 days of reporting the environmental catastrophe. While Repsol, the Spanish company that caused the damage, faces investigations for administrative and criminal liability, 40% of rescued animals do not survive the contamination of their bodies, and the paralysis of the economic chain around local fishing affects hundreds of families .
The Peruvian authorities have already classified it as “the worst ecological disaster that has occurred in Lima in recent times.” To date, official figures from the Ministry of the Environment indicate that the oil spilled on the coasts extends over more than seven million square meters of sea. The toxic water has also damaged the shores and strips of 24 beaches for a total of almost two million square meters.
The misfortune has as its starting point last January 15, when a ship unloaded crude oil in one of the terminals of the La Pampilla refinery, owned by the Repsol company. Since then, the Spanish corporation has insisted that abnormal waves caused by the eruption of the Tonga submarine volcano broke the vessel’s connections and that it did correctly apply its contingency plan, approved by the Peruvian state in 2015.
However, with the passing of days, what the company communicated has become inconsistent. Last Friday, the Peruvian government informed the public that the spill was about 11,900 barrels of oil and not just 6,000, as Repsol had previously said. In addition, the captain of the Italian ship contracted for the unloading reported that the company had not responded in time before the emergency.
“There are various legal responsibilities for which Repsol is going to have to answer; all equally important. There is administrative responsibility for failing to comply with preventive measures, but there are also other infractions for giving inaccurate or false information on the number of barrels spilled and because it has been shown that it did not have the contingency capacity that it claims to have had. On the other hand, there would also be criminal liability, for the crime of environmental pollution,” Carol Mora Paniagua, director of Politics and Governance of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA), explained to France 24.
As Mora points out, as a result of the disaster, Peru’s Environmental Assessment and Enforcement Agency (OEFA) opened a sanctioning process against the company and has already ordered a first fine of 18,400,000 soles, equivalent to more than 4,800,000 dollars. Furthermore, the Judiciary issued an impediment to leave the country for 18 months to four representatives of the multinational, including Jaime Fernández-Cuesta, its general manager. This, after accepting the request of the Prosecutor’s Office in the midst of criminal investigations.
Loss of species in the short and long term
The oil spill has killed dozens of marine species and birds that used to land on the beaches to feed. Carcasses of Humboldt penguins, pelicans, tendrils, boobies and swallows have washed up on the shores or are still visible in the waters. In addition, experts have warned about the loss of traces of feline loons, a species of otter that was already threatened and in danger of local extinction. It should be noted that contamination was also detected on islands considered natural protected areas.
France 24 interviewed Guillermo Ramos Bardalez, a biologist and technical administrator in Lima for the National Forest and Wildlife Service (Serfor). According to the official, the entity has managed to rescue more than 140 species affected by oil since January 17. However, 40%, that is, an amount greater than 50, did not survive the intoxication.
“We have been patrolling and collecting species inside and outside protected areas to take them to Las Leyendas Zoological Park, where they receive veterinary care. Our job is to locate, transport, condition and stabilize the affected animals. Let us remember that they are wild species, that do not usually have direct contact with humans, and that first of all, they are in shock and stress crises. The survival of those rescued is 60% because, in many cases, the animals are not only bathed in crude oil, but have also fed on contaminated fish or crustaceans. Saving them from this intake is usually impossible and they have died within a few days,” Ramos explained.
The Serfor, which is an entity dependent on the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, has opened collection points for animals on four beaches. Some citizens have also reported finds or taken species they found themselves. For Ramos, the damage does not end with the fauna that has already succumbed.
“As long as the oil continues to circulate in the water, we will continue to have affected animals. Although we have a more organized rescue strategy than in the first days and constant citizen support, the effect of all this is not going to end so soon. We have sent brigades to areas even further away from the center of the disaster, in Áncash, from where we have also transferred species. Speaking strictly as a biologist, the ecological damage is tremendous. There is a whole broken chain: not only large fauna, but also plankton, crustaceans, molluscs. There are invertebrates stranded totally black by oil, and that says a lot about what will be in the sea right now, ”he said.
In dialogue with this medium, the specialist in marine biodiversity, Yuri Hooker Mantilla, said that, although the spill in Lima has been of great magnitude, other regions of Peru have had similar cases that have not attracted sufficient and due attention.
“In the Amazon, spills are quite frequent, but many times they go unnoticed due to this cultural rupture that we have in the country. [centralizado en la capital]. It is important to notice it because it is not something new. There is damage to the aquatic ecosystem that is not being addressed. On the other hand, already commenting on what happened in Lima, it is important to mention that the spill has occurred where the marine current of Peru, known as the Humboldt current, is dense and where very quickly a large part of this fuel has been carried towards the north, depositing in other coastal parts,” he said.
Hooker pointed out that, over time, species that appear to be in good health will be observed, but that die by consuming other infected marine animals. The specialist stressed that, in the country, there has not been enough commitment on the part of the governments to implement environmental policies that better protect Peruvian nature and toughen the requirements for extractive companies.
“The most representative of this problem has been the interview given by the general manager of Repsol a few days ago. Apart from saying that this could be cleaned in a short time —when the oil is already dispersed— he also said other absolutely false things like that ‘oil floats’ —when in truth it has heavy elements that do make it fall to the bottom of the sea. This is representative because what he shows is the little importance that many of these companies give to biodiversity and that they also feel untouchable when they have to assume responsibilities. This is a root issue that the current government and those to come must take very seriously,” he said.
State failures and little importance towards the environment
Last week, the Peruvian government announced the delivery of subsidies for people economically affected by the paralysis of local fishing. According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, this extraordinary delivery would be 1,000 soles (about 260 dollars) and would benefit, by family chain, about 100,000 people.
Lissette Vásquez Noblecilla, deputy for the Environment at the Ombudsman’s Office, told France 24 that the State’s reactions have not been the most effective in some matters. For example, she warned that her institution insists on greater information transparency and daily updating by the government on the measures it adopts.
Vásquez explained that the progress of a census of fishermen, merchants and other citizens harmed by the spill is unknown. The official also highlighted that, although the cleaning system has improved over the weeks, the state action was not initially what a disaster of such magnitude warranted. In certain cases, it is still limited.
On the other hand, Carol Mora, director of Politics and Governance of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA), stressed that, in Peru, “the environment has not had the political weight it deserves”, since from the State there are few guarantees of real administrative sanctions for offending companies.
“In addition to the responsibility of the company, we must say that there has been a late response from the State, which took almost a week to issue the declaration of environmental emergency. There was no protocol for action by the State itself in a scenario like this. In addition, there is a system of certain impunity in which the administrative fines that companies receive for environmental infractions can be challenged almost unlimitedly. The fines, certainly, do not return what was lost, but they can be emblematic so that the seriousness of the matter is internalized”, he referred.
A few weeks ago, the portal health with magnifying glass reported that Repsol had already registered up to 32 infractions for practices similar to those currently reported: environmental damage, inaccurate information, inadequate storage of solid waste and lack of monitoring. It should be remembered that the country has not yet ratified its adherence to the Escazú Agreement, a treaty between Latin American and Caribbean countries to strengthen access to information and justice on environmental issues. The approval of the project has not been scheduled among the priorities of the current Parliament.
The cleaning of beaches in an area of the country continues after almost 20 days of reporting the environmental catastrophe. While Repsol, the Spanish company that caused the damage, faces investigations for administrative and criminal liability, 40% of rescued animals do not survive the contamination of their bodies, and the paralysis of the economic chain around local fishing affects hundreds of families .
The Peruvian authorities have already classified it as “the worst ecological disaster that has occurred in Lima in recent times.” To date, official figures from the Ministry of the Environment indicate that the oil spilled on the coasts extends over more than seven million square meters of sea. The toxic water has also damaged the shores and strips of 24 beaches for a total of almost two million square meters.
The misfortune has as its starting point last January 15, when a ship unloaded crude oil in one of the terminals of the La Pampilla refinery, owned by the Repsol company. Since then, the Spanish corporation has insisted that abnormal waves caused by the eruption of the Tonga submarine volcano broke the vessel’s connections and that it did correctly apply its contingency plan, approved by the Peruvian state in 2015.
However, with the passing of days, what the company communicated has become inconsistent. Last Friday, the Peruvian government informed the public that the spill was about 11,900 barrels of oil and not just 6,000, as Repsol had previously said. In addition, the captain of the Italian ship contracted for the unloading reported that the company had not responded in time before the emergency.
“There are various legal responsibilities for which Repsol is going to have to answer; all equally important. There is administrative responsibility for failing to comply with preventive measures, but there are also other infractions for giving inaccurate or false information on the number of barrels spilled and because it has been shown that it did not have the contingency capacity that it claims to have had. On the other hand, there would also be criminal liability, for the crime of environmental pollution,” Carol Mora Paniagua, director of Politics and Governance of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA), explained to France 24.
As Mora points out, as a result of the disaster, Peru’s Environmental Assessment and Enforcement Agency (OEFA) opened a sanctioning process against the company and has already ordered a first fine of 18,400,000 soles, equivalent to more than 4,800,000 dollars. Furthermore, the Judiciary issued an impediment to leave the country for 18 months to four representatives of the multinational, including Jaime Fernández-Cuesta, its general manager. This, after accepting the request of the Prosecutor’s Office in the midst of criminal investigations.
Loss of species in the short and long term
The oil spill has killed dozens of marine species and birds that used to land on the beaches to feed. Carcasses of Humboldt penguins, pelicans, tendrils, boobies and swallows have washed up on the shores or are still visible in the waters. In addition, experts have warned about the loss of traces of feline loons, a species of otter that was already threatened and in danger of local extinction. It should be noted that contamination was also detected on islands considered natural protected areas.
France 24 interviewed Guillermo Ramos Bardalez, a biologist and technical administrator in Lima for the National Forest and Wildlife Service (Serfor). According to the official, the entity has managed to rescue more than 140 species affected by oil since January 17. However, 40%, that is, an amount greater than 50, did not survive the intoxication.
“We have been patrolling and collecting species inside and outside protected areas to take them to Las Leyendas Zoological Park, where they receive veterinary care. Our job is to locate, transport, condition and stabilize the affected animals. Let us remember that they are wild species, that do not usually have direct contact with humans, and that first of all, they are in shock and stress crises. The survival of those rescued is 60% because, in many cases, the animals are not only bathed in crude oil, but have also fed on contaminated fish or crustaceans. Saving them from this intake is usually impossible and they have died within a few days,” Ramos explained.
The Serfor, which is an entity dependent on the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, has opened collection points for animals on four beaches. Some citizens have also reported finds or taken species they found themselves. For Ramos, the damage does not end with the fauna that has already succumbed.
“As long as the oil continues to circulate in the water, we will continue to have affected animals. Although we have a more organized rescue strategy than in the first days and constant citizen support, the effect of all this is not going to end so soon. We have sent brigades to areas even further away from the center of the disaster, in Áncash, from where we have also transferred species. Speaking strictly as a biologist, the ecological damage is tremendous. There is a whole broken chain: not only large fauna, but also plankton, crustaceans, molluscs. There are invertebrates stranded totally black by oil, and that says a lot about what will be in the sea right now, ”he said.
In dialogue with this medium, the specialist in marine biodiversity, Yuri Hooker Mantilla, said that, although the spill in Lima has been of great magnitude, other regions of Peru have had similar cases that have not attracted sufficient and due attention.
“In the Amazon, spills are quite frequent, but many times they go unnoticed due to this cultural rupture that we have in the country. [centralizado en la capital]. It is important to notice it because it is not something new. There is damage to the aquatic ecosystem that is not being addressed. On the other hand, already commenting on what happened in Lima, it is important to mention that the spill has occurred where the marine current of Peru, known as the Humboldt current, is dense and where very quickly a large part of this fuel has been carried towards the north, depositing in other coastal parts,” he said.
Hooker pointed out that, over time, species that appear to be in good health will be observed, but that die by consuming other infected marine animals. The specialist stressed that, in the country, there has not been enough commitment on the part of the governments to implement environmental policies that better protect Peruvian nature and toughen the requirements for extractive companies.
“The most representative of this problem has been the interview given by the general manager of Repsol a few days ago. Apart from saying that this could be cleaned in a short time —when the oil is already dispersed— he also said other absolutely false things like that ‘oil floats’ —when in truth it has heavy elements that do make it fall to the bottom of the sea. This is representative because what he shows is the little importance that many of these companies give to biodiversity and that they also feel untouchable when they have to assume responsibilities. This is a root issue that the current government and those to come must take very seriously,” he said.
State failures and little importance towards the environment
Last week, the Peruvian government announced the delivery of subsidies for people economically affected by the paralysis of local fishing. According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, this extraordinary delivery would be 1,000 soles (about 260 dollars) and would benefit, by family chain, about 100,000 people.
Lissette Vásquez Noblecilla, deputy for the Environment at the Ombudsman’s Office, told France 24 that the State’s reactions have not been the most effective in some matters. For example, she warned that her institution insists on greater information transparency and daily updating by the government on the measures it adopts.
Vásquez explained that the progress of a census of fishermen, merchants and other citizens harmed by the spill is unknown. The official also highlighted that, although the cleaning system has improved over the weeks, the state action was not initially what a disaster of such magnitude warranted. In certain cases, it is still limited.
On the other hand, Carol Mora, director of Politics and Governance of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA), stressed that, in Peru, “the environment has not had the political weight it deserves”, since from the State there are few guarantees of real administrative sanctions for offending companies.
“In addition to the responsibility of the company, we must say that there has been a late response from the State, which took almost a week to issue the declaration of environmental emergency. There was no protocol for action by the State itself in a scenario like this. In addition, there is a system of certain impunity in which the administrative fines that companies receive for environmental infractions can be challenged almost unlimitedly. The fines, certainly, do not return what was lost, but they can be emblematic so that the seriousness of the matter is internalized”, he referred.
A few weeks ago, the portal health with magnifying glass reported that Repsol had already registered up to 32 infractions for practices similar to those currently reported: environmental damage, inaccurate information, inadequate storage of solid waste and lack of monitoring. It should be remembered that the country has not yet ratified its adherence to the Escazú Agreement, a treaty between Latin American and Caribbean countries to strengthen access to information and justice on environmental issues. The approval of the project has not been scheduled among the priorities of the current Parliament.
The cleaning of beaches in an area of the country continues after almost 20 days of reporting the environmental catastrophe. While Repsol, the Spanish company that caused the damage, faces investigations for administrative and criminal liability, 40% of rescued animals do not survive the contamination of their bodies, and the paralysis of the economic chain around local fishing affects hundreds of families .
The Peruvian authorities have already classified it as “the worst ecological disaster that has occurred in Lima in recent times.” To date, official figures from the Ministry of the Environment indicate that the oil spilled on the coasts extends over more than seven million square meters of sea. The toxic water has also damaged the shores and strips of 24 beaches for a total of almost two million square meters.
The misfortune has as its starting point last January 15, when a ship unloaded crude oil in one of the terminals of the La Pampilla refinery, owned by the Repsol company. Since then, the Spanish corporation has insisted that abnormal waves caused by the eruption of the Tonga submarine volcano broke the vessel’s connections and that it did correctly apply its contingency plan, approved by the Peruvian state in 2015.
However, with the passing of days, what the company communicated has become inconsistent. Last Friday, the Peruvian government informed the public that the spill was about 11,900 barrels of oil and not just 6,000, as Repsol had previously said. In addition, the captain of the Italian ship contracted for the unloading reported that the company had not responded in time before the emergency.
“There are various legal responsibilities for which Repsol is going to have to answer; all equally important. There is administrative responsibility for failing to comply with preventive measures, but there are also other infractions for giving inaccurate or false information on the number of barrels spilled and because it has been shown that it did not have the contingency capacity that it claims to have had. On the other hand, there would also be criminal liability, for the crime of environmental pollution,” Carol Mora Paniagua, director of Politics and Governance of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA), explained to France 24.
As Mora points out, as a result of the disaster, Peru’s Environmental Assessment and Enforcement Agency (OEFA) opened a sanctioning process against the company and has already ordered a first fine of 18,400,000 soles, equivalent to more than 4,800,000 dollars. Furthermore, the Judiciary issued an impediment to leave the country for 18 months to four representatives of the multinational, including Jaime Fernández-Cuesta, its general manager. This, after accepting the request of the Prosecutor’s Office in the midst of criminal investigations.
Loss of species in the short and long term
The oil spill has killed dozens of marine species and birds that used to land on the beaches to feed. Carcasses of Humboldt penguins, pelicans, tendrils, boobies and swallows have washed up on the shores or are still visible in the waters. In addition, experts have warned about the loss of traces of feline loons, a species of otter that was already threatened and in danger of local extinction. It should be noted that contamination was also detected on islands considered natural protected areas.
France 24 interviewed Guillermo Ramos Bardalez, a biologist and technical administrator in Lima for the National Forest and Wildlife Service (Serfor). According to the official, the entity has managed to rescue more than 140 species affected by oil since January 17. However, 40%, that is, an amount greater than 50, did not survive the intoxication.
“We have been patrolling and collecting species inside and outside protected areas to take them to Las Leyendas Zoological Park, where they receive veterinary care. Our job is to locate, transport, condition and stabilize the affected animals. Let us remember that they are wild species, that do not usually have direct contact with humans, and that first of all, they are in shock and stress crises. The survival of those rescued is 60% because, in many cases, the animals are not only bathed in crude oil, but have also fed on contaminated fish or crustaceans. Saving them from this intake is usually impossible and they have died within a few days,” Ramos explained.
The Serfor, which is an entity dependent on the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, has opened collection points for animals on four beaches. Some citizens have also reported finds or taken species they found themselves. For Ramos, the damage does not end with the fauna that has already succumbed.
“As long as the oil continues to circulate in the water, we will continue to have affected animals. Although we have a more organized rescue strategy than in the first days and constant citizen support, the effect of all this is not going to end so soon. We have sent brigades to areas even further away from the center of the disaster, in Áncash, from where we have also transferred species. Speaking strictly as a biologist, the ecological damage is tremendous. There is a whole broken chain: not only large fauna, but also plankton, crustaceans, molluscs. There are invertebrates stranded totally black by oil, and that says a lot about what will be in the sea right now, ”he said.
In dialogue with this medium, the specialist in marine biodiversity, Yuri Hooker Mantilla, said that, although the spill in Lima has been of great magnitude, other regions of Peru have had similar cases that have not attracted sufficient and due attention.
“In the Amazon, spills are quite frequent, but many times they go unnoticed due to this cultural rupture that we have in the country. [centralizado en la capital]. It is important to notice it because it is not something new. There is damage to the aquatic ecosystem that is not being addressed. On the other hand, already commenting on what happened in Lima, it is important to mention that the spill has occurred where the marine current of Peru, known as the Humboldt current, is dense and where very quickly a large part of this fuel has been carried towards the north, depositing in other coastal parts,” he said.
Hooker pointed out that, over time, species that appear to be in good health will be observed, but that die by consuming other infected marine animals. The specialist stressed that, in the country, there has not been enough commitment on the part of the governments to implement environmental policies that better protect Peruvian nature and toughen the requirements for extractive companies.
“The most representative of this problem has been the interview given by the general manager of Repsol a few days ago. Apart from saying that this could be cleaned in a short time —when the oil is already dispersed— he also said other absolutely false things like that ‘oil floats’ —when in truth it has heavy elements that do make it fall to the bottom of the sea. This is representative because what he shows is the little importance that many of these companies give to biodiversity and that they also feel untouchable when they have to assume responsibilities. This is a root issue that the current government and those to come must take very seriously,” he said.
State failures and little importance towards the environment
Last week, the Peruvian government announced the delivery of subsidies for people economically affected by the paralysis of local fishing. According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, this extraordinary delivery would be 1,000 soles (about 260 dollars) and would benefit, by family chain, about 100,000 people.
Lissette Vásquez Noblecilla, deputy for the Environment at the Ombudsman’s Office, told France 24 that the State’s reactions have not been the most effective in some matters. For example, she warned that her institution insists on greater information transparency and daily updating by the government on the measures it adopts.
Vásquez explained that the progress of a census of fishermen, merchants and other citizens harmed by the spill is unknown. The official also highlighted that, although the cleaning system has improved over the weeks, the state action was not initially what a disaster of such magnitude warranted. In certain cases, it is still limited.
On the other hand, Carol Mora, director of Politics and Governance of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA), stressed that, in Peru, “the environment has not had the political weight it deserves”, since from the State there are few guarantees of real administrative sanctions for offending companies.
“In addition to the responsibility of the company, we must say that there has been a late response from the State, which took almost a week to issue the declaration of environmental emergency. There was no protocol for action by the State itself in a scenario like this. In addition, there is a system of certain impunity in which the administrative fines that companies receive for environmental infractions can be challenged almost unlimitedly. The fines, certainly, do not return what was lost, but they can be emblematic so that the seriousness of the matter is internalized”, he referred.
A few weeks ago, the portal health with magnifying glass reported that Repsol had already registered up to 32 infractions for practices similar to those currently reported: environmental damage, inaccurate information, inadequate storage of solid waste and lack of monitoring. It should be remembered that the country has not yet ratified its adherence to the Escazú Agreement, a treaty between Latin American and Caribbean countries to strengthen access to information and justice on environmental issues. The approval of the project has not been scheduled among the priorities of the current Parliament.