KAWIT, CAVITE (PIA) – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is conducting sensory testing in municipalities of Cavite with coastal areas of Cavite City, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, and Naic.
The testing was conducted after the degree of petrochemicals was reported in random fishes caught in the area.
After the testing, fish samples from Noveleta and Rosario were proven tainted with petrochemicals.
Meanwhile, samples gathered from Cavite City, Tanza, and Naic remain free from contamination.
“Nevertheless, the Bureau maintains that as a precautionary measure, fish harvested from areas where oil slicks are observed be deemed unsafe for human consumption,” the BFAR announced in a bulletin.
Days ago, Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla already signed Executive Order No. 38, series of 2024, where the provincial government declares Kawit, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, Naic, Maragondon, and Ternate, as well as the cities of Cavite and Bacoor as no-catch and no-sell zones for shellfish.
“There is a need to declare a no-catch and no-sell zone in the coastal areas in the province to ensure the health and well-being of Caviteños and the consuming public [from the effect of the oil spill],” the EO reads.
Fisherfolk who were affected by the ban, on the other hand, were given aid by the Cavite provincial government. (PIA-4A; with reports from Cavite PIO/BFAR)