Fishermen in the Paraguaná Peninsula in Falcón State sighted a new oil spill from underwater pipelines that carry crude oil from Zulia to the Paraguaná Refining Complex (CRP).
Irene Revilla / lapatilla.com correspondent
The leak was sighted on Thursday, January 18th, about two kilometers from the shore of Tiguadare, Carirubana Municipality. Furthermore, 15 days before, a leak was reported in the ‘Golfete de Coro’ (Coro’s minor/lesser Gulf) about two kilometers from the town of Mitare. Neither one of the leaks have been repaired although PDVSA is already aware of them.
Last Wednesday, January 17th, all the fishermen of the state of Falcón were called by the national and regional government to a meeting in the governor’s offices of Falcón to discuss the situation of the ‘Golfete de Coro’, after the countless oil and gas spills that have affected the catch and the fisheries industry and artisanal fishing that is the main source of food and work for all the towns along the coasts of Falcón.
#17Ene Sigue el #derramePetrolero en el tubo submarino de #PDVSA en el #GolfeteCoro. Tiene ahí chorreando desde el 3 de enero sin que le paren. @MinecOficial pic.twitter.com/nuDLwtUgj4
— diodon histrix (@diodon321) January 18, 2024
The fishermen told La Patilla that they detailed accurately the number of species that have practically disappeared due to the contamination by oil of the Golfete, which is why they have asked on several occasions for the sanitation (cleanup) of the area, but that a study must be previously carried out to quantify the damage and apply the proper scientific strategies and efforts to help recover this natural and biological reservoir, which is also a refuge for migratory birds from all over the world and represents great environmental importance for the region.
It was agreed to begin a study starting this Monday, January 22nd, with researchers from the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (IVIC), state institutions and fishermen who know the Golfete de Coro like the palm of their hand; After this study, the actions to be taken to recover the ecosystem will be sought.
This is a request that has been made repeatedly through the media, but it is also a problem that has worsened in the last four years.
The Political Ecology Observatory (OEP) recorded 86 oil spills in Venezuela in 2023, of which 32 were in Falcón, and as of the date of publication of the report, the environmental damage is not known nor has been quantified.