REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BATAM - Several Indonesian Navy patrol vessels are closely monitoring the oil spill resulting from a collision of tankers in Singapore waters. The monitoring efforts are being made in anticipation of sea currents moving the oil spill towards Indonesian waters.

"We are closely monitoring it," Batam Navy Base commander Col Nur Hidayat said on Monday.

He said the Indonesian Navy was cooperating with several agencies in its efforts to prevent the oil spill from entering the country`s waters. Earlier, Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier ship Sunny Horizon collided with Korean-registered tanker DL Salvia at Temasek Fairway, about 700 meters east of Sultan Shoal. The collision resulted in 60 metric tonnes of oil being spilled into the sea.

"Most of the spill occurred at the Temasek Fairway in Singapore, so the follow-up investigation was done by the MPA (Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore)," Nur explained, adding that no casualties were reported after the accident and the two tankers were currently anchored at West Jurong port. Singapore maritime authorities have already deployed several ships to clean up the oil spill. 

Meanwhile, several Indonesian fishermen in Belakang Padang have expressed concerns over the impact of the oil spill on the coral reels in Batam waters. "If the oil spill enters the Batam waters and damage the coral reefs, we fear the fish will die," said Harun, one of the fishermen. He expressed hope that the navy, the police, and local administrators would take the necessary measures to prevent such an occurrence.

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