No nationwide fish shortage due to Oriental Mindoro oil spill

DESOLATE The coastal village of Misong in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, looks desolate as residents, particularly local fishers, continue to bear the brunt of the effect of the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress that contaminated its waters.
—MADONNA T. VIROLA

MANILA, Philippines —There will be no widespread fish shortage due to the massive oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, said an official from the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) on Thursday.

The MT Princess Empress, carrying 800,00 liters of oil, sank in the waters of Oriental Mindoro. Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas had previously warned of a decline in the country’s fish production following the spill.

READ: Brace for lower fish catch due to oil spill, fisherfolk group says
“Hindi namin nakikita na magkakaroon ng pangmalawakang kakulangan sa presyo ng isda because of the oil spill,” said DA-BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera in a statement.

(We do not see a fish shortage on a national scale because of the oil spill.)

Briguera explained that for the rest of the Philippines, it is the peak season of fishing activity after fishing grounds in the country have been reopened after its periodic closure, allows fish to repopulate.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistic Authority, Briguera said that Oriental Mindoro accounted for only 3,119.04 metric tons of fish out of the country’s total of 4,339,888.75 metric tons of fish production in 2022. This is only 0.07 percent of the country’s total fish haul.

However, in a call with INQUIRER, the DA-BFAR spokesperson said that the agency is not downplaying the environmental impact of the oil spill to the areas in Oriental Mindoro and surrounding places.

“Its effect on the marine habitat will actually impact the fishery production in the area, especially in the long term because it hits marine habitats like the mangroves and coral reefs,” said Briguera in a mix of English and Filipino.

The DA-BFAR has previously vowed interventions for the oil spill victims, with the bureau dedicating P19.1 million pesos worth of livelihood assistance to affected fisherfolks. —With reports from Kimberly D. Albaño, INQUIRER.net intern

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JPV