PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) sought the imposition of a fishing ban in two coastal villages here due to mercury contamination.
In an interview Monday, Engr. Alvin Requimin of the MGB said the fishing ban is needed to prevent high levels of mercury from affecting more residents in the two coastal barangays of Sta. Lourdes and Tagburos fronting Honda Bay.
Requimin, who is also the manager of ore mining firm Palawan Quicksilver Mines, Inc. (PQMI) rehabilitation project, said test results of fish and shellfish samples collected from Honda Bay were found to be positive for considerable amounts of the heavy silvery-white metal that could have harmful consequences to human health.
In a joint study, both the DENR and the Department of Health (DOH) announced in June last year that high mercury contents have been found in many residents living near the mine.
Requimin said they have submitted their recommendation for the fishing ban to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which has the authority to make the declaration.
“We are waiting for the BFAR to endorse the fishing ban based on our results, but since meron pang pagdududa ang BFAR ay mag-co-conduct pa sila ng final testing (Since there are doubts, the BFAR will conduct a final testing),” he said.
Aquatic products, mostly seashells and some fish species within one kilometer from the shores of Sta. Lourdes and Tagburos, and part of Barangay San Jose, were found to be mercury positive.
The species identified specifically was rabbitfish, also known locally as “danggit.”
“Lalo na nitong mga bottom-feeders na isda at seashells na kumakain ng sediments. Ang mga danggit ay may nakikita tayong mercury sasamples. Pero mahirap rin kung ipa-stop ang pagpanguha ng danggit. Paborito kasi ito ng mga turista (Bottom-feeder fish and seashells that feed on sediments are affected. In danggit samples we tested, we found mercury. But it’s difficult to stop the catching of danggit because it is the favorite of tourists),” he said.
Vice Mayor Luis Marcaida III, during Monday’s session of the City Council, said shellfish sold at the public market are mostly from Barangay Babuyan and other outlying coastal villages in the north, based on certificates of origin issued to peddlers.
Councilor Victor Oliveros, on the other hand, said based on the information from the MGB, it is now the time to pass an ordinance to ban fishing and shellfish gathering one kilometer away from the two coastal villages’ shorelines fronting Honda Bay.
Requimin said the MGB had allocated a total of PHP15 million, of which PHP10 million have already been utilized to construct the perimeter fence for the pit lake in Sta. Lourdes.
The remaining PHP5 million will be used for slope protection and contouring of the abandoned PQMI mine site, he said.
“We have put warning signs within the periphery of the pit lake to stop the entry of fishermen,” he said.
Based on their records, Requimin said 91 individuals have been found to be positive for mercury poisoning through their hair samples.
He added that PHP10,000 is needed to shoulder the cost of the test for an individual, which includes hair, urine, and blood tests. (Gerardo Reyes, Jr./PNA)
