Pasay vendors caught mixing double-dead fish with fresh catch

After seizing some 400 kilos of "double dead" fish in Quezon City, authorities confiscated in Pasay City some 85 more kilos of fish believed to be from areas affected by recent fish kill incidents. Teams led by the city veterinarian's office on Thursday found the double-dead fish mixed with fresher catch in at least three markets in the city, radio dzBB reported. City veterinary officer Dr. Ronaldo Bernasor said they found 60 kilos of bangus (milkfish) in Pasay City public market; 20 kilos from the market in Malibay; and five kilos from Maricaban village market. Vendors in the areas where the double-dead fish was found claimed they did not know the tainted fish was mixed into their goods. Earlier on Thursday, authorities seized some 400 kilos of double-dead fish, which they suspect came from Pangasinan or Batangas recently affected by fish kill incidents. Shift to other products Meanwhile, fish vendors in Pasig and Marikina cities are thinking they will temporarily stop selling bangus, radio dzBB's Glen Juego reported. The report said vendors at the Marikina and Pasig public markets will just let their existing supplies run out, then sell other items such as meat, until the situation normalizes. Besides, they said even their "suki" (regular customers) no longer buy fish due to the fish-kill scare. Some of them said sales remained poor even if they brought down prices of the fish from about P90 per kilo to P70. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region IV-A officer-in-charge Director Esmeralda Manalang said: "Nasa 972 metric tons na ang namatay na isda – may bangus at tilapia," she said in an interview on dzBB radio. — LBG, GMA News