CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – A fishing ban still stands for this city and five other municipalities even as Governor Humerlito Dolor on Monday announced the lifting of fishing ban in selected towns here.
Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor on Monday announced the lifting of fishing ban in the towns of Baco, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bulalacao previously affected by the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress tanker.
Fisherfolks, however, are still banned to catch shellfish and crustaceans.
The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) has earlier recommended for the provincial government to consider the resumption of fishing activities in areas where oil and grease are no longer detected.
“PAHs, on the other hand, were no longer detected in most of the fish samples (demersal/shellfish/crabs and pelagic) collected last April 17, except for pelagic fish samples from Clusters 3 (Pinamalayan, Gloria, Bansud), 4 (Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay, Bulalacao), and 5 (Puerto Galera, Baco, San Teodoro),” the DA-BFAR bulletin read.
“These pelagic fish samples still contained minimal levels of less toxic PAHs, but the most toxic ones were no longer detected. Generally, the recent analyses showed lower PAH levels compared to the previous test results,” it added.
“Before I came here, I consulted DENR and DoH on this and Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergerie texted me and she has the same recommendations as to what the BFAR recommended,” Dolor said.
“In consultation with all the mayors present during my meeting a while ago, as I am the one who declared the fishing ban by recommendation by BFAR before and as governor of the province together with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Oriental Mindoro Chapter, the fishing ban in the municipalities of Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Baco, Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bulalacao are now lifted.”
Meanwhile, the DA-BFAR has recommended alternative fishing grounds in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government for fisherfolks affected by the implementation of fishing bans
These are the municipal waters of Paluan, Abra de Ilog, San Jose, and Magsaysay in Occidental Mindoro; Boac and Gasan in Marinduque; and Concepcion in Romblon. Subsequently, the DA-BFAR will provide them with fuel subsidies as additional assistance.
DA-BFAR also said that they are eyeing to provide over P117.86 million worth of emergency and relief assistance, early recovery efforts, and mid-to-long term recovery aid to oil spill-hit areas.
Of these, P4.4 million was already spent for post-harvest training for various fisherfolk associations and cooperatives, and over P1.5 million was utilized for food assistance to more than 5,000 affected fisherfolk in Region 4B (Mimaropa).
