EDITORIAL - "Butete" is killing more Filipinos than any other sea creatures

A fisherman and his son reportedly died after eating puffer fish, locally known as “butete,” in Bantayan town last week. Peter Cordova was declared dead on arrival at the Bantayan District Hospital. His son expired later at the same hospital.

  The Cordova family was just the latest of the long list of those who died after eating “butete” and other poisonous fish. Most of the victims are fishermen who are supposed to know that “butete” is highly toxic sea species that is hazardous to human health.

Actually, if cooked properly, “butete” can be eaten. The Japanese have, for many centuries, perfected the art of safely cooking “butete.” In fine restaurants in Japan , it is an expensive dish to eat.

But in the Philippines , only few know how to cook it. In provinces, many fishermen would just cook “butete” without knowing the techniques of slicing away its highly lethal parts. That is why “butete” has been killing more Filipinos than any other sea creatures. 

For years, health authorities kept on reminding fishermen about the danger in eating “butete.” But the reminder would always fall on deaf ears. Some fishermen choose to take the risk than be stricken by death from hunger.

As many would find it, a mere reminder is not enough. Something must be done. Health officials should start finding ways to stop the practice of unsafe cooking of “butete.”

One way is to reach out to those fishermen by fielding experts to teach them the proper way to cook such poisonous fish. Information dissemination is also very crucial in this campaign given the fact that many fishermen still do not know that “butete” is highly poisonous.

Of course, what is more important is for the national government to extend assistance, food or cash, to fisherfolk to enable them to refrain from resorting to cooking poisonous fish.