This Tuesday, February 7th, fishermen from Golfete de Coro, in the Falcón state, sighted an oil spill which they recorded on a video from where you can see how the oil flows out of the pipeline and goes directly into the water.
By La Patilla
Feb 7, 2023
Fishermen from the area alerted lapatilla.com about the situation that has been going on for two days when they saw crude oil stains in the water and then they let themselves drift on the boat until they found the leak.
This would be the third active crude oil spill in “Golfete de Coro” (Little Gulf of Coro) so far this year: the first two were repaired at the end of January after several days of spillage. These events affect the underwater pipelines that run through the Golfete from Zulia State to Falcón State and deliver gas and crude oil to the Amuay and Cardón refineries, which are part of the Paraguaná Refining Complex (CRP).
Since 2020, fishermen in the area have warned about countless spills, and after complaints, PDVSA repairs the pipes by putting braces, but does nothing to collect the spilled crude that later sinks to the seabed and affects marine biodiversity.
On these coasts, the fishermen of Falcón have been deeply affected, oil has contaminated their nets and stained their boats, an there no longer are large quantities of fish as there used to be years ago.
The “Golfete de Coro” is also an important and protected area for having “Punta Maragüey”, “Punta Caimán” and “Las Tijeras” Island, which are protected places destined for the conservation of shorebirds on the western coast of Venezuela.
These areas receive many shorebirds and migrant birds of various species which come to the place with the purpose of resting, nutrients and energy to continue their annual migration journey. These are extremely important wetlands for the environment and for artisanal shrimp fishing. However, PDVSA has not complied with the internationally required protocols to protect this ecosystem.
The Environmental Human Rights Observatory of Venezuela (OVEDHA), the Climate 21 program, recorded during the second half of 2022, 35 oil spills in Venezuela, with Zulia, Falcón and Anzoátegui being the states most affected with 83% of the events registered.
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Read More: La Patilla – Environmental tragedy: Third oil spill in Golfete de Coro so far this year
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