Oil spill income loss nears P80M

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels, on Aug. 2, continue to secure the second layer spill boom and apply oil dispersant in the area where fuel tanker MT Terranova sank on July 25 in the waters off Limay, Bataan. The tanker was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel and caused a spill that has spread to various coastal areas along Manila Bay, including Cavite. —PCG Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — Losses from an oil spill caused by a sunken tanker in Bataan province near the P80 million mark, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Based on the BFAR’s tally as of Aug. 8, the average income loss is pegged at P346.69 per day or a total of P9.8 million.

Thus, the average income loss spanning eight fishing days totaled P78.69 million, although the agency said the figures are subject to verification with concerned government offices.

The oil spill incident last month affected the livelihood of 28,373 fisherfolk in portions of Metro Manila and the provinces of Cavite and Bataan.

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

Of which, 26,090 fishermen came from Bacoor City, Cavite City and the towns of Kawit, Maragondon, Naic, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza and Ternate in Cavite.

The Bataan oil spill also affected 1,976 fisherfolk in the towns of Limay, Mariveles, Abucay, and Samal, as well as Balanga City in Bataan.

Furthermore, it hit 307 fishers in Parañaque and Las Piñas cities in Metro Manila.

Moratorium

Despite losses reaching millions as of this writing, BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera said they are not recommending lifting the fishing ban in Cavite province.

“As stated in our official statement, we will not recommend the lifting of the fishing ban in Cavite based on the results of our laboratory tests,” Briguera said on Wednesday.

He also said they are following certain scientific protocols in determining whether or not to lift the moratorium on catching fish in a particular area.

Briguera assured the public that fish being delivered in public markets are safe for public consumption.

The BFAR said earlier that tests revealed the fish caught in Navotas, Parañaque, Manila and Las Piñas cities in Metro Manila and Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Batangas provinces were safe for human consumption.