Locals participate in clean-up efforts in Dalian, China
The place where fishermen returned the collected crude oil has a nice name, Golden Bay Bridge. To 35 year old fisherman Cui Zhanyou, it has become a bridge of no return.
On the evening of July 27th, when Cui was transporting barrels of oil to the collection center, his boat was overturned by rough waves. After days of searching, Cui’s family still could not find a trace of him.
Cui was among thousands of local fishing community members mobilized by the Dalian government to clean up leaked oil. Though provided financial rewards for the clean-ups, the fishermen know their livelihood depended on a clean and healthy sea. They engaged themselves actively in the efforts without much hesitation.
Sadly, the clean-up efforts took a heavy toll on the fishermen’s health. When a fisherman started to faint under the Golden Bay Bridge, people at scene thought he might just have been too tired. Only as more and more of them fainted did the fishermen and officials realize the crude oil is toxic.
How long the health impact will last and how much of the sea around Dalian has been contaminated is an unknown. The local community expects the government to take more responsibility to ensure their livelihood. And to make it happen, there needs a change — this is what the fishermen know.
Tags: China, Clean Energy, Dalian oil spill, Energy, environment, fossil fuels, Marine, oil spill, pollution, Water
