Fishing ban still up in 6 Or. Mindoro towns
THE fishing ban in six municipalities in Oriental Mindoro is still in effect, given the continued presence of oil and grease and harmful chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in said areas due to the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress.
In its Oriental Mindoro Oil Spill Bulletin No. 05, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said that the fishing ban in Clusters 1 (Calapan and Naujan); 2 (Pola); and 3 (Bansud, Gloria, and Pinamalayan) will continue due to the risk of contamination from traces of oil that have yet to be removed from the area.
The BFAR, on the other hand, said that the fishing waters in Clusters 4 (Bongabong, Bulalacao, Mansalay, and Roxas) and 5 (Baco, Puerto Galera, and San Teodoro) were within “acceptable” standards for fishing activities.
The BFAR disclosed that, in the meantime, the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro allows the fisherfolk of Calapan and Naujan to fish in the municipal waters of Baco, Puerto Galera, and San Teodoro.
On the other hand, the fisherfolk of Pola, Bansud, Gloria, and Pinamalayan are allowed to fish in Bongabong, Bulalacao, Mansalay, and Roxas.
Meanwhile, the BFAR assured that it will continue monitoring oil spill-hit areas for a time-series observation, which will be the basis of its recommendations for concerned government agencies and local government offices.
To help affected municipal fisherfolk, the BFAR is set to provide over P117.864 million worth of emergency and relief assistance, early recovery efforts, and mid-to-long-term recovery aid to oil spill-hit areas.
Of this amount, P4.4 million was already spent on post-harvest training for various fisherfolk associations and cooperatives, and over P1.5 million were utilized for food assistance to more than 5,000 affected fisherfolk in MIMAROPA.
Millions-worth of funds was also allocated for the ongoing grant and capacity-building efforts of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) boats with marine engines to affected fisherfolk in Oriental Mindoro.
In addition, the fisheries bureau has deployed monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) vessels, as well as PPE sets and other materials for clean-up activities.
The supplementary interventions, on the other hand, are being readied, including the grant of additional FRP boats, fish aggregating devices, aquaculture feed mill projects, bangus fry, tilapia fingerlings, and fish cages to areas affected by the oil spill.
