Marking a month since oil tanker MT Princess Empress sank in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, causing an oil spill from its cargo — containing 900,000 liters of industrial oil — Greenpeace satellite imagery shows the day-to-day expansion of the slick that reached coastal ecosystems of Oriental Mindoro, including the biodiversity-rich Verde Island, from the period of March 8 to 23, 2023. Red areas show the location of vulnerable marine ecosystems including mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds.
Greenpeace said that the Philippine government must seek accountability from the companies involved, especially the owner of the cargo, and that they must pay for the immediate and long-term damages their business operations have caused, especially in the disruption of livelihoods and access to ecosystem services.
Image credits: Greenpeace