MANILA, Philippines — Fish from areas affected by the Bataan oil spill are now safe to consume, except those from Cavite, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said.
In a bulletin, BFAr said that fish from the areas of Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, and Metro Manila, specifically from the cities of Navotas, Paranaque, and Las Pinas are now all tested negative for traces of oil and grease and are safe for human consumption.
The bureau also lifted the fishing ban in these areas except in the province of Cavite since fish and shellfish in the area are still unsafe based on the sensory evaluation of authorities.
Last July 25, the MTKR Terranova, carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil capsized and then eventually submerged off the coast of Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan due to adverse weather conditions, killing a crew member.
Authorities said prior to the leakage that the spillage could reach the Manila coasts and nearby areas which it backtracked after seeing minimal oil sheens but it still reached the province of Cavite, prompting the city to declare a state of calamity in its seven municipalities.
Currently, containment measures to siphon off the fuel in the sunken tanker are still ongoing although authorities have shifted its focus to Terranova alone after two other tankers, the MT Jason Bradley and MV Mirola 1 sank and ran aground in the waters of Bataan days after the sunken Terranova tanker was reported by the Philippine Coast Guard.
