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But all that is visible now is the desperation and anger on the faces of fishermen who lost virtually everything when an oil spill north of
The spill occurred on
Around 6,000 barrels spilled and contaminated the ocean and nearby beaches.
"The impact of the spill is desolation," the president of the
But the polluted offshore waters now have left people there fearful for their livelihoods.
"Regrettably, it's all full of oil. The boats can't go out to fish. The daily sustenance that our colleagues take home is no longer there. And their families: What do they eat? How do they support themselves? If they get sick, what do they do? How do they pay? We want help,"
At the local pier, which no longer smells of fish, hundreds of fisherman who have been out of work for 10 days gather to express their indignation.
Their long-term prospects are also grim considering that hatchlings and eggs have disappeared from the waters of
"What will we have for our children's future? ... We won't have anything," Pacheco said while showing Efe crude-stained ropes and lines.
Like the fishermen, many other families in towns like
"This Monday we made
She is not alone in her predicament, since all 16 restaurants on the pier that specialize in ceviche,
"People come here to eat ceviche, and now no one comes for fear the fish is contaminated. We basically live from the three summer months, and I don't think people will return to
One of her peers, however, urged people to come back and gave a quality guarantee.
"I strongly encourage people to come here. We have fresh fish. You can come with all the confidence in the world. You can trust 'La Tia Chola.'
Repsol Peru said in a statement Tuesday that it is working closely with Peruvian civil society and government authorities to provide assistance to those affected by the oil spill.
It also said it will finish cleaning up the affected beaches by late February.
A company spokesman told Efe that
© 2022 EFE News Services (U.S.) Inc., source