Solons feast on milkfish, tilapia to allay fish-kill scare

Lawmakers on Wednesday feasted on different milkfish and tilapia dishes to prove that these kinds of fish are fit for consumption despite recent incidents of fish kill in the provinces of Batangas and Pangasinan. Batangas 3rd District Rep. Nelson Collantes led the lawmakers in eating fried tilapia and grilled milkfish to allay fears that fish from his district were all affected by the fish kill. "We assure the buying public that it is okay to buy milkfish and tilapia for as long as they are fresh," Collantes told reporters after the meal. Collantes, whose constituency covers the eight towns affected by the fish kill, added that only a few barangays in the area were hit by the calamity. "Ipinalibing na namin lahat ng mga isdang naapektuhan ng fish kill. Lahat ng isda na galing ng Batangas ay sariwa," he said. He likewise appealed to the public to continue buying fish from his district so that the fisherfolk in the towns affected by the fish kill will not lose their source of income. House agriculture panel chair Batangas 4th District Rep. Mark Llandro Mendoza, BUTIL party-list Rep. Agapito Guanlao and Bataan Rep. Herminia Roman joined the lunch. Over P190 million worth of fisheries produce have already been lost in the towns of Talisay, Laurel, Alitagtag, Santa Teresita, Agoncillo, San Nicolas and Mataas na Kahoy in Batangas, and the towns of Bolinao and Anda in Pangasinan due to the fishkills during the past weeks. A Senate committee is also conducting its own investigation on the matter. — RSJ, GMA News