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Fish in Albay Gulf safe to eat’


RAPU-RAPU, Albay - The University of the Philippines-Natural Sciences Research Institute on Friday declared fish found in the Albay Gulf off Rapu-Rapu, Albay, and Bacon and Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon, safe for human consumption.

The lawyer Joselito "Sarge" Sarmiento, Lafayette company director and corporate secretary, presented lab result findings of the UP institute’s officials led by supervisor CR Africa.

Africa said that the institute’s analysis showed that the mercury and arsenic content in these areas and those of the Ungay and Hixbar creeks, which are near the Lafayette mining operations, were below the standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Several kinds of fish such as samaral, labayan, katambak, bangayaw, atuloy, bataway, bulangawan (rainbow fish) cattle fish, helmet shells, small shrimps and small shells showed traces of mercury also within the department’s standards, Africa added.

"All fish samples caught in Prieto Diaz, Rapu-Rapu and Bacon passed the standard for mercury level content and are fit for human consumption as declared by Bureau of Fishery and Aquatic Resources," Africa said.

"We’re happy because the independent commission from UP who made their tests reaffirmed that our company is not destroying the environment," Sarmiento told reporters here.