By Brigitte Rodriguez, Associate Researcher & Writer for Save The Water™ | February 25, 2023

The seaside resort of Ancón, Peru is  very popular for its important economic fishing activity. However, the oil spill affected the resort last year. This accident resulted from the Repsol company. It caused great losses to the fishermen and the inhabitants of the surrounding area. Since the oil spill, the waters surrounding the resort have a dark color. Also, have stained the coast, which means damage to the water quality.

What Happened?

In January 2022, an incident occurred at La Pampilla refinery when 0.16 barrels of oil spilled, as reported by Repsol. By the end of the month, the great disaster caused by the Spanish company was clear. It’s estimated that more than 11,000 barrels of oil have spilled into the country’s waters. This incident caused damage to marine biodiversity, leading to more than 1,850 animal deaths.

The Impact

The accident has been reported as the biggest ecological disaster that has occurred in the country’s capital. The incident covered 10,452 hectares of the Ancón Reserved Zone. The coast of Lima has been socially and environmentally affected by Repsol’s late action. As a result, the water component is the most affected by the crude oil spill.

Some of the effects it will have will be:

• It will remain in the ecosystem for many years.
• Aquatic fauna is affected by polluted water which causes the death of marine resources.
• The entire marine food web in this area is now contaminated.
• The quality of water is no longer safe for humans or animals.
• Seafood products are now dangerous for human consumption.

The actual impact on the environment is still uncertain. This is because mitigation efforts have focused on the recovery of biodiversity and the manifestations of the spill at sea and on beaches.

What Can Be Done to Lessen the Oil Spills?

In fact, here are a few ways to reduce the possibility of oil spills.

• Reduce your oil consumption. For instance: Take public transportation and eat locally.
• Opt to eat more vegetables or become a vegetarian.
• You can demand that your institutions (banks, schools, town halls) withdraw their investments from the oil companies.
• Pressure local, state, and federal politicians to improve energy infrastructure and implement policies that end offshore drilling.

Future Perspective

Certainly, the oil spill incident in the Ancón reserve should encourage us to take action and hold companies like Repsol, accountable. The response from Repsol was full of misinformation and the only action they took was the paying of fines. Looking from the outside, it is clear that more needs to be done to prevent oil spills entirely. The hope is to reverse the effects of the oil spill in the water and restore the ecosystem.

What Can You Do to Save Water?

Here are a few ways you can preserve water:

• Take part in public awareness campaigns to draw attention to the importance of water bodies.
• Participate in public awareness campaigns to draw attention to the importance of water conservation.
• If you live in a country or region where water bodies are at risk, urge your government to better manage cleaning sewage and wastewater.
• Take a photo of the impact of the spill on your local beach, or upload one you already have, and report it to the state or environmental agency.