MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday, August 28, that Cavite fisherfolk can resume fishing, a week after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) deemed fish from parts of Cavite still unsafe for consumption.
The announcement comes a month after the sinking of the tanker MT Terranova off Bataan last July 25 caused an oil spill.
Fish from Bacoor City, Cavite City, Noveleta, Rosario, and Tanza were still not fit for human consumption, the latest bulletin from the BFAR released a week ago or on August 22 said.
Once fish from these areas pass another (or third) sensory evaluation, they will be deemed safe for consumption.
In the same bulletin, BFAR said fish from Naic, Ternate, Kawit, and Maragondon were safe to eat.
“[N]asabihan lang ako ni ating Secretary…Kiko Laurel ng DA [Department of Agriculture] na mula ngayon ay maaari nang mangisda. Wala nang oil spill. Puwede nang ituloy ang inyong hanapbuhay,” Marcos said during his visit in General Trias, Cavite, on Wednesday.
(DA Secretary Kiko Laurel just told me that you can resume fishing. There’s no oil spill anymore. You can now continue your livelihood.)
Marcos, together with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., went to General Trias to distribute P363,050,000 worth of aid, according to a statement from the Presidential Communications Office.
Cavite province had announced a no-catch zone for shellfish a few days after MT Terranova sank and the oil spill reached the shores of its coastal towns.
Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said on Thursday, August 29, that fisherfolk can resume catching mussels and clams.
Around 31,000 fishers and vendors from Cavite want compensation in light of the maritime disaster. (READ: Cavite fishers, vendors want P350 daily compensation from MT Terranova owner)
Recovery operations ongoing
Oil siphoning from MT Terranova was still ongoing as of Thursday. The Philippine Coast Guard reported that salvor Harbor Star had collected 806,254 liters of oil and seawater from MT Terranova in a span of 10 days or nearly 60% of its oil cargo.
Harbor Star said they have been siphoning oily waste from the vessel at 24,614 liters per hour.
MT Terranova sank off Limay, Bataan, on July 25. It was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil chartered by San Miguel Shipping subsidiary SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation.
The Coast Guard initially said the oil siphoning would only take a week since the sunken ship was just 34 meters under water. The President said on Wednesday the Coast Guard expects the siphoning to be completed in two weeks.
MT Terranova’s sinking, alongside the cases of two other troubled vessels in Bataan, is being investigated by the Department of Justice and is the subject of congressional hearings. – Rappler.com