The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, January 14, warned the public against buying and consuming fish from Taal Lake and nearby Batangas province, saying it could pose danger to one’s well-being.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, January 14, warned the public against buying and consuming fish from Taal Lake and nearby Batangas province, saying it could pose danger to one’s well-being.The advisory came two days after Taal Volcano had a phreatic eruption, belching ash, steam, and small rocks into the sky and consequently, heavy ash fell over the area as well as surrounding provinces or regions, including the National Capital Region.
“Definitely, we have an advisory that any fish coming from the area of Taal and Batangas should not be bought. We cannot expect its safety to our citizens,” DOH Assistant Secretary Ma. Francia Laxamana said in a press briefing.
Should one accidentally eat fish sourced from Taal Lake and Batangas province, Laxamana said among symptoms that should be watched out for are stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
“Now, if for example there’s the chance that a person ate or wants to really eat Tawilis from Taal Lake, there are symptoms to look out for,” added Laxamana.
The DOH further advised as to the symptoms for those who may have ingested the fish from there, possibly dead fishes already, some of the symptoms include stomach ache, vomiting, and diarrhea.
The Assistant Health Secretary said that the number one thing to do is to rehydrate and monitor patients who may have consumed dead fish or fish that have sulfur or whatever chemicals or minerals ingested by the fish.
“Those who will experience vomiting and diarrhea are strongly advised to rehydrate,” Laxamana added.
Meanwhile, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) that Fish kill due to high sulfur content in Taal Lake could damage around 6,000 fish cages with production loss estimated at 15,033 metric tons.
Sulfur upwelling, which is due to the ongoing eruption of Taal Volcano, could affect tilapia, as well as Sardinella tawilis, that are mostly thriving in Taal Lake.
Sardinella tawilis, which can only be found in the Philippines, is an endangered fish species under the list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Taal Volcano remained under Alert Level 4, which means that “hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days.”
Source: MB
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