Fishing nets hamper oil tanker from entering Cilacap oil terminal

The captain of ?MT Gerbang ? has refused to take the oil tanker to the oil terminal in Cilacap, Central Java due to a large number of fishing nets spreading around the terminal, Kompas daily reported on Tuesday.

The tanker, with a capacity of 85,000 dead weight tonnages (DWT), carries about 120,000 barrels of crude oil and 400,000 barrels of fuel for the Cilacap refinery plant. The fishing nets put by local fishermen near the terminal, however, hamper the oil tanker from anchoring.

The captain of the terminal, which has since Sunday waited for the sweeping of the fishing nets outside the terminal area, said that he was afraid the fishermen would get angry if the oil tanker forced its way to enter the terminal.

According to an official of Pertamina?s production unit in Cilacap, there are at least 50 fishing nets spreading around the terminal. ?The tanker?s captain fears that the fishermen will get angry,? he added.

A group of fishermen recently attacked oil tanker King Fisher after the tanker hit a coral reef near the terminal. The crash caused massive oil spill, polluting the fishing area of the local farmers. (*)