DESOLATE The coastal village of Misong in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, looks desolate as residents, particularly local fishers, continue to bear the brunt of the effect of the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress that contaminated its waters.
鈥擬ADONNA T. VIROLA
MANILA, Philippines 鈥擳here will be no widespread fish shortage due to the massive oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, said an official from the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) on Thursday.
The MT Princess Empress, carrying 800,00 liters of oil, sank in the waters of Oriental Mindoro. Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas had previously warned of a decline in the country鈥檚 fish production following the spill.
READ:
鈥淗indi namin nakikita na magkakaroon ng pangmalawakang kakulangan sa presyo ng isda because of the oil spill,鈥� said DA-BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera in a statement.
(We do not see a fish shortage on a national scale because of the oil spill.)
Briguera explained that for the rest of the Philippines, it is the peak season of fishing activity after fishing grounds in the country have been reopened after its periodic closure, allows fish to repopulate.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistic Authority, Briguera said that Oriental Mindoro accounted for only 3,119.04 metric tons of fish out of the country鈥檚 total of 4,339,888.75 metric tons of fish production in 2022. This is only 0.07 percent of the country鈥檚 total fish haul.
However, in a call with INQUIRER, the DA-BFAR spokesperson said that the agency is not downplaying the environmental impact of the oil spill to the areas in Oriental Mindoro and surrounding places.
鈥淚ts effect on the marine habitat will actually impact the fishery production in the area, especially in the long term because it hits marine habitats like the mangroves and coral reefs,鈥� said Briguera in a mix of English and Filipino.
The DA-BFAR has previously vowed interventions for the oil spill victims, with the bureau dedicating P19.1 million pesos worth of livelihood assistance to affected fisherfolks. 鈥�With reports from Kimberly D. Alba帽o, 黑料社 intern
RELATED STORIES:
BFAR to provide aid to fishers affected by Oriental Mindoro oil spill
BFAR: 13,000 fisherfolk families affected by Mindoro oil spill