Fish from waters affected by Bataan oil spill not safe to eat – BFAR

This photo from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows the sunken MT Terranova, which is causing a “working fuel” spill off Limay municipality in Bataan province on Thursday, July 25, 2024.

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Fishes and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) warned the public on Thursday that fish harvests from areas with oil slicks are unsafe for consumption.

“The Bureau maintains that as a precautionary measure, fish harvested from areas where oil slicks are observed be deemed unsafe for human consumption. This is to avoid incidents of food poisoning as a result of ingesting contaminated seafood,” said BFAR in a bulletin.

READ: Coast Guard: Fishing in Manila Bay unsafe due to oil spill

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Fish sampling collected from Noveleta and Rosario in Cavite “showed some degree of tainting with petrochemicals, albeit before any oil slicks were noticed in the area.”

Meanwhile, fish samples from Tanza, Cavite City, and Naic did not show any signs of petrochemical contamination at the time the samples were taken.

According to BFAR, it is conducting continuous fish sampling in the affected waters of Region 3, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), and the National Capital Region to determine if fish and other seafood are contaminated.

Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla declared a “no catch and sell zone” on Wednesday for all shellfish in the coastal areas of the province after the oil spill reached their coastline.

READ: 8 areas in Cavite under state of calamity due to oil spill

Motor Tanker Terranova was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel when it capsized and eventually submerged in Bataan on July 25. The oil spill spread about 12 to 14 kilometers across Manila Bay on Saturday.