Indonesian fishing crews report oil damage

PHOTO

A WWF photo of a man standing in a boat looking at the oil spill in the Timor Sea. [www.wwf.org.au]

AUDIO from Connect Asia

Damaging oil spill

Created: 28/10/2009

Last Updated: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:31:00 +1100

Australian authorities are being urged to investigate claims that oil from the West Atlas rig is causing environmental damage on the Indonesian archipelago.

Oil has been leaking from the rig in Timor Sea for more than nine weeks.

Indonesian media is reporting fishermen have found thousands of dead fish in the Timor Sea.

Richard Flax, from the Mum Bali Foundation, which delivers health and education programs in Indonesia, says residents on the island of Roti have reported oil damaged seaweed.

Mr Flax says there needs to be more investigation.

"The sensible way to go about this would be to bring in a team from Australia, send them down there and have a look at it," he said.

"Spend some time in the region, maybe get hold of a boat and have a look at the whole thing because that seems to be the problem.

That there are no facts, so what's coming out is open to debate."

Minister denies claims

But earlier Australia's Defence Minister, John Faulkner said the spill hadn't reached Indonesian waters.

Senator John Faulkner says the oil spill is 230 kilometres from the Indonesian coast.

"My understanding is that the oil spill is not in Indonesian territorial waters," he said.

"I can say that, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Indonesian authorities have been kept informed of the location of the residual oil sheen."

Meanwhile, the Conservation Council of Western Australia has presented a petition with 6,500 thousand signatures to the Australian prime minister, calling for an inquiry into an oil spill in the Timor Sea.

Tim Nicol from the Conservation Council says the petition calls for more protection for the marine environment.

The latest attempt to plug the leak has been put off until later in the week.