Foregone income attributed to the oil spill in Bataan is estimated to have climbed to P78.69 million, according to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
The DA said that as of 7 August, the incident directly affected the lives of 28,373 fisherfolk with the imposition of a fishing ban in Metro Manila, particularly in Las Piñas, Abucay, Balanga City, Limay, Mariveles and Samal in Bataan; and in Bacoor City, Cavite City, Kawit, Maragondon, Naic, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza and Ternate in Cavite.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) noted these areas have been visited by three consecutive maritime incidents.
The first involved the sinking of the motor tanker (MT) Terra Nova near the coast of Lamao Point in Limay on 25 July, MTKR Jayson Bradley in the shallow waters of Mariveles two days later and capped by the MV Mirola 1 which ran aground in waters off Mariveles on 31 July 2024.
BFAR has deployed personnel in catch landing sites and local markets in nearby areas to ensure the contaminated seafood does not reach markets and at the same time help keep fish prices stable.
The agency said floating assets have also been mobilized to assist partner agencies in the monitoring, clean-up and deployment of oil spill booms using used nets and coco fiber.
The BFAR is also in close coordination with the local government units and the regional disaster risk reduction management council to expedite an early recovery program.
It also scheduled the release of fuel subsidies, food packs and relief packages to mitigate the impact of the oil spill on displaced fishers while validating alternative areas for capture fishing.
“As a safety measure, the bureau advises against consuming fishes caught in areas where oil slicks have been observed. This is to avoid incidents of food poisoning as a result of ingesting contaminated seafood,” the BFAR said.
