Fish in five areas of Cavite still inedible, says BFAR

DAMAGE CONTAINMENT A tugboat chartered by Shogun Ships Co., owner of the MT Terranova, joins the Philippine Coast Guard in their efforts to contain the spread of oil spillage from the sunken tanker in the waters of Limay, Bataan. —INQUIRER file photo/RICHARD A. REYES

Fish caught in two towns and three villages in Cavite province remain unfit for consumption due to the oil spill caused by the sinking of an oil tanker in Bataan province last month, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said in a statement on Thursday.

BFAR Officer-in-Charge Isidro Velayo Jr. identified the affected areas as Bacoor City, Cavite City, and the towns of Noveleta, Rosario and Tanza.

However, the public can safely consume fish caught in other areas of the province such as Naic, Ternate, Kawit and Maragondon, Velayo said.

READ: Bataan City fish tasted like diesel after oil spill, senators say

This came after fish and other fish species collected from August 7 to 21 from these locations passed three consecutive sensory evaluation tests.

In its previous bulletin dated August 13, BFAR declared that fish and seafood products from Metro Manila and the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga and Batangas were fit for human consumption.

Sensory evaluation

“Fish from an area can be declared fit for human consumption if the samples analyzed have already passed three consecutive batches of sensory evaluation,” Velayo said.

Samples collected from the cities of Bacoor, Cavite, Noveleta, Rosario and Tanza only passed two consecutive batches of tests.

BFAR assured the public that it continues to monitor and assess potentially affected fishing grounds and communities around Manila Bay, even though the sinking of the MT Terranova in Limay town, Bataan province, occurred three weeks ago.

The agency said it would continue to conduct fish sampling and sensory evaluations in potentially affected areas for the presence of oil and grease.