Guidelines issued for safe consumption of fish, seafood in Oriental Mindoro

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health issued guidelines for the safe consumption of fish and seafood in parts of the oil spill-affected Oriental Mindoro where fishing was already allowed.

Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor lifted Monday the fishing ban in the towns of Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay, Bulalacao, Puerto Galera, Baco and San Teodoro.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the waters in the said municipalities “are now within acceptable standards for fishing activities.”

With this development, the DOH released the following guidelines for safe consumption of fish and other seafood products in the towns where the fishing ban was lifted:

• Prepare and cook seafood products properly.
• Avoid eating fish, shellfish and other seafood products that have an oily smell or taste.
• Fishers should ensure their catches do not come in contact with floating oil, and do not have signs of contamination.
• Those who exhibit any untoward symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after consuming seafood products should seek immediate medical assistance from the nearest Rural Health Center, primary care center, and/or physician.
• Following medical consultation, contact the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to immediately report the incident for investigation and assessment.

Meanwhile, the towns of Naujan, Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria and Bansud are still not recommended for fishing activities due to the risk of contamination. Garafil said precautionary measures will still be implemented if the levels of contamination have risks to food safety.

“It was observed that all areas located in the north of ground zero or Naujan town have lower recorded oil and grease as compared to those in the south,” Garafil said.

She added that all monitored shorelines affected by the oil spill have “generally improved” and all monitored areas in the municipality of Pola are all within the water quality guidelines for oil and grease based on the last sampling result available.

The health department issued these pieces of advice for residents of areas where the fishing ban stays:

• Avoid the consumption of fish, shellfish, mollusks, and other seafood products.
• Immediately seek medical assistance from the nearest Rural Health Center, primary care center, and/or physician in case of accidental consumption of seafood products.
• Exposure to and consumption of contaminated seafood or water may expose the public Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) chemicals, which is associated with eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and irritability, among other conditions. PAHs are a group of chemicals present in crude oil.

— Gaea Katreena Cabico