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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider BFAR: Fishing ban in oil spill-hit Or. Mindoro is lifted

BFAR: Fishing ban in oil spill-hit Or. Mindoro is lifted

Published Jul 21, 2023 11:49 am
The fishing ban in all municipalities affected by the massive oil spill in Oriental Mindoro due to the sinking of motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress five months ago has already been lifted, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) confirmed Friday, July 21. The latest to be cleared was the municipality of Pola, which is the hardest hit by the spillage, said BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera. “As of yesterday, the governor of Mindoro [Governor Humerlito Dolor] has declared that Pola is already open for fishing. Fishing activities are now open in all o areas affected by the oil spill,” Briguera said in a radio interview with dzBB. Last month, the fishing ban in the municipalities of Naujan and Pinamalayan had also been lifted. Briguera said that the lifting of the fishing ban was recommended by BFAR as the waters in the province passed the bureau’s quality monitoring. According to Dolor, the oil and grease levels observed in the provincial waters “are within Class SC standard” and free of presence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) from demersal and pelagic species. “Ito ay nangangahulugang maaari nang payagan ang pangingisda sa karagatan ng Pola (This means that fishing is now allowed in the sea of Pola),” he said. Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz said this would be beneficial to the fishermen even as the fishing communities continue to reel from the devastating effects of the oil spill. However, she clarified that swimming off the coast of Pola is still prohibited as oil and grease are still visibly present there. MT Princess Empress sank approximately 400 meters (1,200 feet) deep below sea level off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28 while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil. The spill that resulted from the tanker’s sinking affected more than 200,000 individuals from Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Antique, and Batangas. Of those affected, more than 24,000 individuals are residents of Pola. The oil spill removal from the sunken vessel had been completed in June, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

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