Provincial gov’t lifts fishing ban in Oriental Mindoro towns cleared of oil spill

SEASIDE LIVING Residents of Barangay Lazareto in the City of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, spend their day along the shoreline amid a fishing ban imposed on the area that has been affected by the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress in this photo taken on May 6. —MADONNA T. VIROLA

CITY OF CALAPAN – The fishing ban imposed due to the oil spill which came from the sunken MT Princess Empress in February was lifted in three more towns in Oriental Mindoro, according to a social media post by the Provincial Information Office on Sunday (May 28).

Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor announced the development in a press briefing Saturday (May 27) after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources recommended the lifting of the ban following a reported on the latest fish and water test results.

Water activities, including swimming, are also now allowed where the ban was lifted.

But the ban continues in Naujan, Pola and Pinamalayan towns, which are within the 15 kilometer radius from ground zero of where the tanker MT Princess Empress sunk on February 28.

The fishing ban was first lifted on May 8 in Baco, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera, Bongabong, Mansalay, Bulalacao and Roxas towns.

But Dolor still does not recommend catching or eating of shellfish and other “yamang dagat na walang buto” (seafoods without skeletons) and reminded the public to thoroughly cook fish before eating them.

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JPV