BFAR: Fish sold in Mandaue safe

CEBU, Philippines - Fish products sold at the Mandaue City Public market are safe for consumption.

To prove this point, officials of the Mandaue City Hall and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic resources (BFAR) - 7 joined yesterday a boodle fight to show that it’s okay to eat the seafood sold at the Mandaue City Public market.

During a press conference yesterday at the public market, fish vendors lamented that since the collision of the two ships in Cebu’s waters last Friday, sales have been very low as people refuse to buy fish.

Market administrator MUSOLINI Suliva sympathized with the 180 fish vendors and emphasized that the fish products at their market come from areas affected by the oil spill.

Sally Igot, 54, of barangay Mantuyong, said that since Sunday she has incurred some P200,000 in losses.

“Sa wa pa ning oil-spill, mokita nako og P60 mil ngadto sa P80 mil sud lang sa tunga sa adlaw kay mohalin man ko og tag 20 ka banyera apan karon usa ka banyera na lang intawon ug karong tunga sa adlaw dos mil pa akong halin,unya naa pa koy upat ka tindera nga sweldohanan og tag P400 kada adlaw busa dako kaayong alkansi,” Igot said. (I used to sell 20 basins of fish before the oil spill but now, I’d be lucky to sell one.)

She said that the fish she sells are from General Santos, Zamboanga, Ilo-ilo and Danao City.

Another vendor, Fe Bolo, 48, a fish vendor from Cordova, also cried that she too is very much affected. Her sales have gone down even if the products she sells come from Bogo City, Romblon, Mindanao, Bohol and other provinces.

“Wa man dyud tawon mi mamaligya og mga isda nga gikan sa lugar nga duol anang oil spill oi,” Bolo said. (What we are selling do not come from oil spill-affected areas.)

Aside from the fish vendors, the city’s fishermen were also affected by the oil spill and are now asking for help from the city.

Ricky Bulacan, president of fishermen’s association in Mandaue, said they try to fish from other areas but still, nobody buys their catch.

He thanked the Capitol for giving them rice, canned goods and noodles. He hopes they will be given an alternative livelihood especially now that the fishermen have stopped fishing since Monday.

BFAR 7 Assistant Regional Director Allan Poquita said about 90 percent of fish sold in Mandaue come from northern Cebu and other provinces.

He said that fish in the market are safe for public consumption because fish tend to stay away from areas affected by oil spill.  He added that no fishermen can go fishing near the wreck of M/V St. Thomas Aquinas because the area is restricted.  (FREEMAN)