Fish in Bataan town tasted like diesel after oil spill, senators told

OIL SPILL composite image from Inquirer/PDI file photos

MANILA, Philippines — Fish caught from waters affected by an oil spill in Bataan province smelled and tasted like diesel, its governor told senators on Wednesday.

Bataan Governor Jose Garcia made the disclosure following the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) declaration that fish samples from areas hit by the fuel spillage, except Cavite, are safe for human consumption.

READ: Fish from 4 Metro cities, 4 provinces safe to eat, BFAR assures public

This was not completely true, however, at least for residents in Bataan.

This was based on Garcia’s account when he attended the Senate committee on environment’s probe into the oil spill caused by the sunken motor tanker Jason Bradley in the province.

“From Day 1, panay ho ang report ng BFAR sa sensory inspection pumapasa naman po yung mga huli natin sa dagat,” Garcia said.

(From Day 1, the BFAR has been reporting that our catches from the sea passed their sensory inspections)

“Yun po ang sinasabi ng BFAR. Pero nito pong mga nakaraang linggo, lalo na nung simula nitong lumubog ang Jason Bradley, marami ho kaming mga barangay dyan sa Mariveles na nagbabalik po nung kanilang binibili na mga isda dahil amoy, at saka lalo na kapag niluto, lasang diesel, lasang langis,” he added.

(That’s what BFAR has been saying. But in the past weeks, especially after the sinking of Jason Bradley, many of our villages in Mariveles have been returning the fish they bought because of the smell and the taste of diesel after they cooked it)

Motor tanker Jason Bradley capsized last July 26.

READ: Sunken tanker Jason Bradley allegedly involved in oil smuggling – DOJ

But BFAR Assistant Director for Technical Services Angel Encarnacion stood by their regional office’s findings that the fish and shellfish in Bataan were “generally safe for consumption.”

Panel head Sen. Cynthia Villar interjected: “Bakit ayaw kainin ng mga tao? Ano na naman ang nangyari sa inyo?”

(Why are people refusing to eat it? What is happening to you again?)

“Pagdating ng budget nyo sakin lagot na naman kayo,” she added.

Encarnacion promised to verify the results of the tests from their office in Region 3.

“Ayusin nyo yan. Nakakahiya hindi makain tapos sasabihin nyo clear for human consumption,” Villar said.

(You have to fix this. It’s embarrassing that it can’t be eaten, and yet you say it’s clear for human consumption)

She suggested that BFAR inspectors should eat the fish they test.

Sen. Francis Tolentino echoed Villar’s suggestion.

“Dapat siguro kayo ang unang kumain,” Tolentino said.

(Maybe you should be the first to eat it)

Encarnacion, however, pointed out that this is already being done in the BFAR’s sensory tests.

The Bataan governor later clarified that they only received complaints about the contamination after the sinking of the Jason Bradley tanker.

“After that week, medyo nawala na po yung mga complaint (the complaints have somewhat lessened),” Garcia said.