THERE is no truth to rumors on social media warning the public against eating fish because of medical waste dumped in the sea, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said.
In a public service announcement on Sunday, July 28, BFAR said “there have been false information circulating on social media which prohibits the general public from eating fish, following an alleged dumping of medical wastes at sea, specifically a ‘tube from a hospital with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).'”
It stressed that the information in the social media posts “is not true.”
The fisheries bureau also urged the public to be discerning of information that they see online and to “always verify the source of information before sharing any social media posts.”
The BFAR occasionally issues warnings and imposes limited bans in case of risks to food safety like red tide. It also imposes bans on fishing in areas affected by oil spills, like during the 2023 MT Princess Empress oil spill off Mindoro. (ABS-CBN News)
