Al, what equipment does the Esperanza have to confront an oil spill?
The most important equipment is the ship itself and our four inflatables. The local coast guard has simply not enough infrastructure to deal with the catastrophe, so they have asked us for help. Giving access to the area is the first thing. We can also provide skilled staff - divers, scientists, a photographer, a videographer - to document the disaster. And some special equipment like respirators, because the oil emerges dangerous gases. Unfortunately even we cannot stop it from spilling further and further.

Have we loaded any extra equipment?
No, we have mostly everything already on board. We just bought more rubber gloves and detergent to clean our boats. They won't get damaged by the oil, but it will be hard work to get it off afterwards.

What will be our main task in Guimaras?
The coast guard needs to know how big the oil slick is already and into which direction it is moving. So we will go with the Esperanza right to the point where the vessel has sunk. We also want to document beaches that have not yet been reached by the oil - and others that are already damaged. The divers will examine the damage on corals underwater.

You told me you have worked on an oil spill before...
Yes, in 1997 I was on site at an oil spill at the southwest coast of England, also with Greenpeace. We collected birds and brought them to a station where they would be cleaned. It was horrible. I am really content that the Esperanza is now going to Guimaras to help. I hope it is also a signal to the people there that they are not left alone.