Bataan Oil Spill: BFAR Warns Public To Avoid Consuming Fish from Oil Spill-Affected Areas
BATAAN OIL SPILL – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) warned the public to avoid consuming fish from oil spill-affected areas.
The public has been cautioned not to eat fish from areas affected by the oil spill in Bataan province by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), since they are considered hazardous for human consumption.
“This is to avoid incidents of food poisoning as a result of ingesting contaminated seafood,” BFAR stated in its latest bulletin issued Thursday afternoon.
According to BFAR, sensory analyses revealed that fish samples from Cavite province’s Noveleta and Rosario had “some degree of tainting with petrochemicals.” In contrast, fish samples from Cavite City and the municipalities of Tanza and Naic did not exhibit any petrochemical contamination.
To look for oil and grease, continuous sampling and testing are being done in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon. Additionally, hazardous compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are being looked for in seafood from these regions through laboratory testing.
The local government of Bataan has implemented a fishing ban in Limay, and Cavite is under a “no-catch” zone for all types of shellfish.
BFAR noted that monitoring of catch landings and market inspections are ongoing. Ground validation and documentation of affected fisherfolk are also in progress to provide support to impacted communities.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) mentioned that BFAR is assessing the damaged areas to determine the assistance needed for affected fisherfolk. “For now we can only give fuel vouchers so fishermen can go to nearby fishing grounds. I also asked BFAR to coordinate with DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) so the agency can also give food packs to affected fisherfolk,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
The DA also stated that BFAR is supplying dispersants to address the oil spill from MT Terranova, which sank with 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel en route to Iloilo province.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) started siphoning 5,500 liters of diesel oil from the motor tanker Jason Bradley, one of three vessels that sank off Bataan province, on Friday. The fuel tanker sank in shallow waters off Mariveles town on July 26, a day after the Terranova sank.
An aerial image from environmental group Greenpeace shows the oil slick from a tanker that sank on July 25 in Bataan due to bad weather. The BRP Malapascua has been deployed to monitor the waters and use oil dispersants in the area where Jason Bradley sank.