National oil company Petroper煤 was responsible for a substantial oil spill from its Talara refinery on December 20 in the coastal region of Piura, in Peru鈥檚 north. The spill quickly along the coast, with crude oil.
The region was reported as a 鈥溾, with oil-soaked dolphins, seabirds, fish, turtles, crabs, seahorses and octopuses found on beaches.
The country's environment ministry a 90-day 鈥渆nvironmental emergency鈥 for the province of Talara, threatening Petroper煤 with penalties with directives to remediate the affected areas.
脫scar Vera, general manager of the Talara refinery 鈥 who previously served as energy minister from December 2022 to February 2023 鈥 attempted to minimise the impacts of the oil spill.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a spill, it was a small leak,鈥 he said while visiting an affected beach on December 21. He claimed that the affected beaches in Talara province are now 鈥100% clean鈥 and the waters are 鈥渃rystal clear鈥.
The local community Vera鈥檚 lies, which were clearly exposed by reports of oil-soaked beaches and the continued advance of the spill.
Vera fled a roundtable meeting between fishers, local citizens and authorities in Lobitos on December 27, after locals at him in protest.
Fishers have been unable to work since the oil spill due to the contamination, affecting an estimated .
Local communities have from Petroper煤 for the impact on fishing and tourism activities and that .
Lobitos鈥 beaches normally attract during the summer months, generating income for local businesses. However, the oil spill has left beaches unusable during the busiest time of the year.
Lobitos council, in the district currently most affected by the oil spill, released a on December 25 advising people to not swim or visit beaches in the area.
The oil spill has affected at least seven beaches to date and threatens to continue spreading north to the biodiverse and touristic beaches of M谩ncora and El 脩uro.
The spill has already of the Grau Tropical Marine Reserve, Peru鈥檚 most biodiverse marine zone, which contains of the country鈥檚 marine species.
The latest ecological disaster and the government鈥檚 weak, reactive response highlight the largely unregulated functioning of the country鈥檚 destructive oil industry.
Oil companies know that they face few consequences for contaminating ecosystems and destroying livelihoods that rely on a clean environment. In the hundreds of reported instances of environmental damage over the past 10 years, Peru鈥檚 Agency for Environmental Assessment and Enforcement 鈥 attached to the environment ministry 鈥 sanctioned companies in just .
Between 1997鈥2021, were registered along Peru鈥檚 coastline, of which occurred on the north coast in the regions of Piura and Tumbes. A lack of reporting, including oil companies knowingly about the extent of oil spills or failing to report them at all, means that the extent of damage is likely much higher.
A spill from Savia鈥檚 offshore well in Talara was reported by local fishers on January 25, 2022, after the slick had already spread into the Grau Tropical Marine Reserve. Savia failed to report the spill at all, and only paused operations two days after the spill was first reported.
Ten days earlier, Spanish oil giant Repsol was responsible for spilling (1.9 million litres) off Peru鈥檚 central coast, which is described as the country鈥檚 worst ecological disaster. For days after, Repsol publicly insisted that the amount spilled was only , only admitting to the actual extent of the spill more than a month afterwards.
Repsol is now facing a on behalf of 30,000 people, for the long-lasting social and ecological impacts caused by the spill.