A year after the oil spill hit Cordova town, the fish catch continues to dwindle for fishermen in the town’s coastal barangays.
Anabelle and Victor Inoc of barangay Buagsong said they were able to catch 10 kilos of fish everyday before the oil spill. Today they consider themselves lucky if they get half of that.
“Before we earned P700 a day but today we only earn around P300 to P500 a day. It’s really too hard to explain to the people that our fish are safe from the oil spill. Until now they are afraid,” Victor said.
Cebu Daily News was able to witness the couple yesterday together with their son Lamberto who arrived at the fish port. They were able to catch a kilo of “kitong” fish, five seashells, and seven crabs.
Not enough
The couple decided to sell the kilo of ‘kitong’ for P130 while the seashells and crabs will be for their lunch and dinner yesterday.
They also sold wood and scavenged for usable materials to augment their income.
Another fisherman, Freddie Baguio of barangay Day-as, said the fish they catch used to look healthy.
Now it’s small and thin, he said. Baguio said he now earns P500 a day, half of what he used to earn.
He also tried selling fish balls, tempura, and squid rolls for two months through assistance given to him and other fishermen by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-7).
“I earned P200 selling fishballs, tempura and squid rolls. It is still not enough because I have six mouths to feed everyday,¨ he said.