'If they won't prepare barriers and skimmers in advance, the only option left is to pray'

The fisherwomen of O Grove see themselves as guardians of the frontline against the 150-mile oil slick spilt by the Prestige as the tanker sank on Tuesday.

Lola, MariCarmen and Marilo used to say they faced America when they looked up each morning while gathering cockles and clams from the sand of the quiet inlet. After a lifetime of toil, they still marvel at the beauty of their scenic ria, much of it environmentally protected. But yesterday they peered west with dread as the slick hastened to their shores.

"The authorities reassure us our turron [Christmas sweetmeat] is safe and we shouldn't worry," Lola said. "But we are prepared to go without turron. We fear the destruction of our ria and our livelihood."

The port of O Grove, which produces Spain's finest mussels, cockles and clams, stands at the mouth of the deep Ria de Arousa. So worried are fisherfolk that the slick might destroy the shellfish beds that they offered yesterday to obtain inflatable plastic barriers and string them across the ria with their own boats.

"But the authorities say we needn't take precautions yet, and we can't lay barriers until we see the slick heading this way. But we could wake up and find it here and it'll be too late," MariCarmen said.

Lola interrupted: "I think they haven't enough barriers to protect the coast and are too cowardly to say so." She voiced the unspoken fear of the three, all members of O Grove fisherwomen's committee.

"A fisherman who went for crabs this morning came back with oil in his net. How dare the authorities say there's nothing to worry about! The truth is we're very afraid," MariCarmen said.

The three had netted up their morning catch, which lay in the market hall ready for auction that afternoon. Would they get a good price, boosted by fear of shortages? "On the contrary, prices are down because wholesalers who put the shellfish in purification tanks to clean and store them before distribution cannot guarantee the slick won't pollute the water and kill them. So they don't want to pay much," Lola said.

Ramon Beiras at a nearby storage plant confirmed the women's fears. Truckloads of mussels had been trundled in and tipped into tanks. Gatherers brought in more than usual, fearing activity would be suspended by the black tide.

"That running water comes from the sea," Ramon said. "If it gets tainted, the mussels will die. We have no closed circuit or other water source." Was he afraid? He lowered his voice "It's in front of us. It could be a hecatomb. We're in God's hands."

The fisherwomen agreed, saying: "We feel defenceless. These are closed waters. If oil comes in, it has no way out and the molluscs in the sand may never recover." Marilo said: "If they won't prepare barriers and skimmers in advance, our only option is to pray."