A fish scare has gripped consumers here following the government ban on fishing and eating fish from Romblon’s waters after the recent sinking of a passenger ship carrying toxic materials in its cargo base.

       Julie Perez, president of the Malimgas Aliguas Dagupan Vendors Federation in Dagupan, the center of fish trading in the province, said they have been negatively affected by the fish scare as demand significantly dropped including its prices.

“They thought that the fish in Romblon are also sold in the markets here but that is not true. Our fish here comes from the Lingayen Gulf which is very far from Romblon,” Perez said in Pangasinense.

“Malinis so sirad Lingayen Gulf, safe ya kanen (Our fish in Lingayen Gulf is clean, safe to eat),” she said in an interview with The PUNCH.

Perez added that the fish scare has been another big blow to them given the continued increase in fuel cost for their fishing vessels.

“Agalay irap mi met la. Baleg yan problemad sikami (We are suffering a lot. This is a big woe to us),” she said.

Fishing and eating fish in San Fernando, Romblon was banned after authorities confirmed that the ill-fated ship M/V Princess of the Stars owned by Sulpicio Lines, which capsized last June 21 off Sibuyan Island, carried tons of the toxic pesticide endosulfan.

Perez said if indeed the toxic impact of the endosulfan could reach Lingayen Gulf, their fishermen should by now be experiencing skin diseases because they are exposed to seawaters everyday.#

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