Fish and shellfish from all regions are now safe to eat, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Tuesday.
“Based on our latest sensory evaluation, fish and shellfish from all regions – that includes Region 3, 4A, (National Capital Region) are already safe for human consumption,” the BFAR Assistant Director Angel B. Encarnacion said during the House committee hearing.
Currently, Bataan faces three oil spills in the province – MKTR Terranova, MTKR Jason Bradley, and MV Mirola 1.
Market-goers avoided buying fish because of the multiple oil vessel incidents, Enrique, a shrimp vendor at the Balanga Public Market, said.
“Matumal kasi nag-aalala rin yung mga tao, [People refuse to buy because they are worried],” he added.
The fish tasted different, and residents are struggling to identify if it’s still safe to eat, according to Jerald Lacson, a resident of Balanga, Bataan.
Mr. Lacson added that he once experienced cooking a fish that had an off taste.
“Nakabili po kami ng isda na nilalako, pagkaluto po may lasang langis na, [The fish that we bought from a local vendor tasted like oil],” he said.
According to Rafael Dominico, a board member of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Mangingisda sa Lamao (PINSAMALA), fish are scarce in the area because they avoid the oil-contaminated water.
“Yung isda ngayon talagang wala ng mahuli kaya minsan kami ay dumadayo pa para makahuli lamang nang maganda, [Fishes became elusive in the area. We had to travel to other places to have catch better fish],” Mr. Dominco said.
From P200 to P180, the fish prices decreased to P80 to P50, Mr. Dominico told BusinessWorld in an interview on Thursday.
“Despite lowering the prices to P80, we still can’t sell it sometimes,” he said in Filipino.
Corresponding to the BFAR’s announcement, fisherfolks from Limay, Bataan, attested that their fish are edible.
“Ligtas naman siya… Wala naman kaming ibang kakainin kung ‘di yung isdang nahuhuli namin, [It is safe to eat… We cannot afford to eat anything else aside from the fishes we caught],” PINSAMALA President Efren Dominico said. – Almira Louise S. Martinez
