Oriental Mindoro lifts fishing ban in all towns

MANILA, Philippines — Fishers can now resume their fishing activities in all parts of Oriental Mindoro, Gov. Humerlito "Bonz" Dolor said on Thursday, five months after MT Princess Empress sank and leaked oil into the sea.

“Today, we declare that fishing is now open, and activities along all the coastlines of Oriental Mindoro!” Dolor said in a statement on Facebook.

The town of Pola, Oriental Mindoro, was the last in the province to have a fishing ban, which was lifted Thursday. Swimming in the waters of Pola is still not permitted, however, as oil is still present, according to Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz.

Based on the latest data by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the oil and grease levels in the waters of Pola “are within Class SC standard” and free of “PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) from demersal and pelagic species,” Dolor said, which makes the waters safe for fishing.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced in May that all the oil spilled from the tanker had been fully extracted. But Cruz said in a press conference this week that this does not signal the end of the oil spill crisis in the town.

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“The real situation is we still have a lot to clean up. Our fight is not over until there is no justice for the victims of the oil spill,” Cruz said in Filipino.

“Even if oil residues on the beach disappear after five or six years, but there is no compensation for the people, that means the fight is not over,” she added. — with reports by Gaea Katreena Cabico