What’s swimming in your soup?

FILIPINOS may be certified lovers of lechon, but having more than 7,000 islands to call home has also made seafood part of our daily diet. We have fish in every which way, and shellfish and even seaweed make frequent appearances on our plates. When we need something to chew on while we down our bottles of beer, we turn to fish crackers, baked tahong, and lately, hot plates of tuna sisig.

With all that seafood we are flushing down our gut, it may be wise to start thinking where the fish, clams, and crabs we are eating came from. After all, it’s no secret that many of our bodies of water are polluted. What many people are not aware of, however, is that much of what we flush down our toilets end up in the habitats of the fish and shellfish that we eventually eat.

According to the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), domestic wastewater discharges represent 33 percent of the major sources of water pollution in the country, “domestic wastewater discharges, representing 33 percent as more than 90 percent of inadequately treated domestic sewage are discharged into surface waters.” The Bureau also says agriculture and livestock sources are “second (29 percent)” among the sources “while the industry sector is third (27 percent).” All these have nutrients that cause harmful algal bloom, or what we know as “red tide.”

The bit of good news is that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has been closely monitoring our water bodies and issues red tide bulletins when necessary. The EMB has also pinpointed many of the problem areas that fisherfolk would do well to avoid.

We hope this latest i Report Power and Poisons piece raises readers’ awareness not only regarding the sources of the seafood they are buying, but also on our country’s continuing lack of proper drainage systems.

Read on at pcij.org.