LIMA (Reuters) – Peru’s government on Thursday declared an environmental emergency in a northern coastal area, where state oil company Petroperu last weekend spilled a cargo into the surrounding waters. in the Pacific Ocean.

A ship carrying out pre-shipment maneuvers caused the spill on Saturday at a terminal in Peru’s Talara refinery in northern Peru.

Petroperu did not say how much crude oil spilled into the sea, but Peru’s environmental watchdog OEFA said in a preliminary report that it affected about 10,000 square meters of sea water, and the environment ministry -as it affected at least seven beaches, as well as local wildlife.

Peru’s environment ministry said the 90-day emergency aims to “guarantee the sustainable management of the area and the implementation of recovery and repair works to reduce environmental contamination.”

Petroperu said on Wednesday that it was deploying clean-up brigades at the scene of the spill and was coordinating with the fishermen’s union and local authorities so that local economic and tourist activity could continue as normal.

Petroperu said in a statement that it maintains cleaning personnel, boats and drones in the affected area to “do preventive monitoring to guarantee the early detection of any event.”

Local authorities said the spill damaged coastal plants and animals such as crabs, while fishermen said the spill prevented them from working.

“We haven’t been out for six days,” said fisherman Martin Pasos on local radio RPP. “Chaos, what happened in Lobitos. So far, we have not received an answer from the oil company.”