After three weeks of the first oil spill on the coast of Ventanilla and the absence of a clear response from the company Repsol, the support of the citizens and the business sector to the campaign #RecuperoMiMar shows its first results in the purchase of essential implements to help the personnel of the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP) and the National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), to manage the effects of the spill, ensure the cleanliness of the beaches and safeguard the wildlife.
In order to efficiently execute the funds collected to date, Profonanpe is addressing the requirements that are considered a priority. Thus, to protect SERNANP personnel and volunteers participating in the clean-up operations in response to the emergency, safety gear and equipment have been acquired to enable them to work in an area highly impacted by the oil spill and under extreme environmental conditions, as the coastline is currently experiencing high temperatures.
Therefore, the first response has been to purchase personal protective equipment, such as hydrocarbon-resistant footwear and gloves, to protect the body from injury and exposure to oil. Respirators and masks have also been purchased to protect them from the volatile components of the oil that the winds, waves, and currents disperse along the coast. Likewise, implements for daily use have been acquired for the organization and distribution of materials. On the other hand, cooling equipment and refrigeration gel have been purchased to preserve samples of affected species for later analysis, while a team of veterinarians attends to the most urgent cases of fauna impacted by the spill.
In addition, Covid testing of personnel in the area has been reinforced to prevent contagion. Chemical hygienic services have also been made available to guarantee minimum sanitary conditions for personnel. A large part of the operating costs has been covered by the money raised, such as the permanent monitoring of the course of the spill and the effects, carried out by a boat service.
Approximately 95,000 soles have been disbursed so far to meet primary cleaning needs. You can see the details of the purchases here.
We are currently working on the purchase of a container or camper to set up an administrative office and, above all, the acquisition of skimmers and containment booms to collect the oil and prevent its expansion.
From #RecuperoMiMar we thank all the people and companies that have joined and made this important support possible, and we invite those who wish to learn more about this initiative to visit the website: recuperomimar.com
About #RecuperoMiMar
RecuperoMiMar is a campaign born as a response to the oil spill caused by Repsol, in order to recover the protected natural areas and the affected fauna. The campaign is managed by Profonanpe, a private environmental fund, with the support of the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law, Oceana, Conservamos por Naturaleza, WWF, EcOceánica, SOA Perú, H2O Océanos and Lucha with the support of the agency Fusión.
The money raised is articulated with SERNANP and SERFOR, who provide the technical requirements for the acquisitions.
This initiative in no way exempts Repsol or the responsible authorities, but rather seeks to complement and streamline the activities related to this environmental emergency from a citizen and business perspective.
You can join this initiative at www.recuperomimar.com
