Public warned vs fish taken from fish kill-hit areas

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday asked the public to observe caution when consuming fish harvested from fish pens affected by the fish kill in Calamba, Laguna, saying they may be harmful to health.

“The DOH does not recommend the consumption of any unhealthy looking fish. If they are no longer fresh, if they look sick, that means that their health is not in good condition,” said DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Eric Tayag. 

Last week, fishery officials have reported that some 10 tons of tilapia from 30 fish pens in Laguna were affected by fish kill that might have started when it rained in the area, changing the water’s temperature.

Fish pen owners were advised to harvest their fish by the end of this month as a preventive measure.

Tayag said authorities should keep a tight watch so that fish taken from the affected fish pens will not be sold or “recycled” into other products like fish ball.

Tayag warned that the resistance of fish experiencing these conditions could go down, enabling parasites to easily enter their bodies.

“And when you eat fish with parasites, the parasites will likely transfer to you body. You may develop iron deficiency eventually.  You may also develop stomach discomfort and diarrhea,” he added.

Tayag said fish are no longer fresh if they have red eyes, pale-colored gills, and soft meat.

Laguna Lake Development Authority general manager Nereus Acosta said a monitoring team of his agency will go around fish kill-hit towns in Rizal and Laguna to ensure food safety and proper disposal of affected fish.  – With Rhodina Villanueva