The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has recommended to keep the fishing bans on oil-spill affected areas in Oriental Mindoro, and keep the seaweed harvesting bans in Caluya, Antique as recent samples collected from said areas still showed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are low-level contaminants.

According to BFAR, PAH are toxic to humans and other living beings and may build in the flesh of marine organisms over time. Meanwhile, due to their immobility, seaweeds and other sessile species are more likely to accumulate PAHs.  .

In BFAR’s Bulletin No. 2 issued on April 12, the bureau noted that the results were in line with their first and second batch of studies' conclusions, which indicated that minimal amounts of PAH levels were found in seafood gathered from sampling sites in Oriental Mindoro.

“Despite low-level amounts found in the samples, the Bureau recommends keeping fishing bans in oil spill-hit municipalities in Oriental Mindoro since the initial analyses are not yet conclusive evidence as far as food safety is concerned. The BFAR also recommends retaining harvesting bans on seaweeds in Caluya, Antique until further evaluation shows it is safe for public consumption,” it stated. 

The spill may have moved farther due to ocean currents and wind direction, and more PAHs may have accumulated in marine species since the above samples were taken in the early days of March, the BFAR noted.

On March 10, fish samples were gathered and examined from a few locations in Oriental Mindoro. The results revealed minimal concentrations of pollutants or PAH. The bureau said similar results were obtained on March 9 when seaweed samples were taken and examined at a few different locations in Caluya, Antique. 

In a “Laging Handa” briefing on. March 20,  BFAR Spokesperson Nazario Briguera bared that the country’s fisheries sector is losing P5 million a day as the impact of the Oriental Mindoro oil spill continues to take its toll.

Around 19,000 fishermen, among others, continue to suffer from the fishing ban that is currently imposed in oil spill-affected areas, he said.

Per the most recent data of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), 100,631.06 liters of oil wastehave been gathered so far from the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Antique, and Batangas.

On March 28, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that nearly 400,000 liters of industrial oil are still intact within the MT Princess Empress, which sank off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28.

The eight tankers of the MT Princess Empress, which have been responsible for the oil disaster, have reportedly had multiple holes discovered by the remotely operated vehicle brought in by Japanese experts, according to earlier reports.

The PCG reported that, based on the reports of the experts, four of the eight tankers situated at the rear of the vessel were nearly empty.