[Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.]

On August 4, 2020, The Maritime Executive reported that an oil spill washed up on the shores of Venezuela’s Moroccoy National Park. The Maritime Executive says that video footage of a spill along the shores of the Golfo de Triste—about 60 miles west of Caracas—appeared on social media beginning August 2. “A member of Venezuela’s political opposition, the National Assembly, confirmed to Reuters that the spill occurred and expressed concern that it would cause harm to the park’s sensitive marine environment. A PDVSA source also confirmed the spill.”

Meanwhile, Agencia Carabobeña de Noticias reported that the vessel was a Portuguese freighter identified as the Nauma, which had left La Guaira, Venezuela, on its way to Georgetown, Guyana. It caused a fuel spill on the beaches of Morrocoy in Falcón, thus affecting the life of at least 300 species.

The Maritime Executive also pointed out that the Nauma is managed by a well-known German company, and mentioned the ship’s proximity to Curaçao at the time of the accident. According to the article, Victoria González, coordinator of local environmental group Fundación Azul Ambientalistas, warned that the oil pollution would damage the park’s reefs and hurt the region’s economy. She is quoted as underlining that “it will affect the tourism and fishing sector, which are the main sources of economic income for the inhabitants of the coastal axis of the Morrocoy National Park.”

For original post (in English), see https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/bunker-fuel-spill-hits-venezuelan-national-park

For articles in Spanish, see:

Derrame de tanquero con combustible afectaría playas de Morrocoy
Agencia Carabobeña de Noticias, 5 agosto 2020
https://www.acn.com.ve/derrame-tanquero-afectaria-playas-de-morrocoy

Derrame de petróleo afecta manglares y cayos del parque nacional Morrocoy
Primicia, 6 agosto 2020
https://primicia.com.ve/nacion/derrame-de-petroleo-afecta-manglares-y-cayos-del-parque-nacional-morrocoy-videos