Oil slick beaches fishermen

An oil slick, reportedly from a vessel bearing a Singaporean flag, has stopped at least 300 fishermen from going out to sea in Tanjung Berakit,  Bintan, Riau Islands, an official says.

 Bintan Environmental Impact Management Agency head Karya Hermawan told tempointeraktif.com Monday that he was not sure if it was sludge from the ship’s engine or oil from another source. The oil has damaged fishermen’s fishing gear, he said.

 The oil had spread up to six kilometers along Padang Lamun Beach, he said.

He said the oil came from a tanker during a cleanup of the vessel and was dumped at night when the north wind was blowing toward Batam. Bintan and Tanjung Pinang.

The agency conducted a cleanup, putting the oil in sacks, in an attempt to prevent the oil from spreading, he said, adding that an investigation was under way.

A fisherman said the pollution became apparent in the wee hours of Saturday. He recalled that sacks containing similar black oil had been found in the water several years ago.