Phillippines: 170 scientists urge halt to oil exploration

Marine scientists from all over the Philippines have called on the government to stop the oil exploration initiated by the Department of Energy in Tanon Strait because of threats it poses on whales, dolphins, fish and other marine creatures, people’s livelihood, and potentially irreplaceable and invaluable natural heritage.

The scientists made the call at the end of the 9th National Symposium on Marine Science convened by the Philippine Association of Marine Science in Iloilo City.
Dr. Lemnuel Aragones, associate professor of the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, e-mailed a copy of the resolution to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) on Sunday, saying it was signed by 170 scientists.

Tanon Strait, located between the provinces of Cebu and Negros, was declared a protected seascape under Presidential Proclamation No. 1234 by then President Fidel V. Ramos in 1998 because of its extraordinary abundance and diverse assemblage of dolphins and whales.

Eleven of the 25 species found in the Philippines can be sighted in the strait, which is also known as feeding, breeding and resting grounds for the marine mammals, the resolution said.

The scientists said seismic surveys, exploratory drilling and actual oil mining would adversely affect the marine ecosystem and organisms dependent on it.

“Sound is very important to whales and dolphins as they use it for hunting, navigation and communication,” the scientists said.

Inquirer