Fishing vessel sinks off Batangas

MANILA, Philippines — A fishing vessel with 11 crewmembers on board sank off the coast of Lian, Batangas amid bad weather and rough sea conditions before dawn yesterday.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Southern Tagalog said the FV Unity World was headed for Cuyo in Palawan from Navotas when it encountered strong winds and big waves near Fortune Island in Barangay Luyahan at around 3 a.m.

An hour earlier, the skipper ordered the crewmembers to abandon ship due to worsening sea conditions, the PCG said.

All 11 crewmembers survived by using floating devices.

The vessel was carrying 40,000 liters of diesel fuel.

Members of the PCG’s marine environmental protection (MEP) enforcement response team in Nasugbu and its sub-station in Lian are monitoring the area for any sign of oil spill, according to PCG spokesperson Capt. Noemie Cayabyab.

3 barges run aground

Meanwhile, winds and big waves spawned by Tropical Storm Crising caused three barges loaded with sugar syrup or molasses to run aground in Calaca town  on Saturday.

The PCG said all 21 crewmembers of motor barges EE Margarette, Amazon River and Yangtze River were rescued and found to be in good physical condition.

The vessels were on their way to discharge cargo in Balayan town when they encountered bad weather, forcing the crewmembers to take shelter near the coast of Barangay Piro.

However, the storm snapped the barges’ mooring lines, causing the vessels to drift until they ran aground near Barangay Talisay at past 9 a.m.

The Calaca City disaster risk reduction and management office informed the PCG-Lemery and the MEP in Balayan as well as barangay officials about the incident.

The EE Margarette was towed by the motor tugboat Robina II and the Amazon River and Yangtze River by the Robina I.

A coastal assessment showed a minor leak coming from the Margarette, which sustained damage in the hull after it hit the Amazon River.

A joint team of the Marine Science Investigation Group-Southern Tagalog and PCG-Lemery evaluated the environmental impact and concluded that the leak posed no threat to marine life or public safety.

The team noted a slight discoloration and odor in the area, which consists of non-coral and sandy shores not used for fishing activities.