Fishkill damage reaches P300M
ANDA AND BOLINAO SUFFER
THE fishkill that broke out in Anda and Bolinao from May 29 to June 1 destroyed some P300 million worth of milkfish, badly battering the economy of the two western Pangasinan towns.
Although the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has not completed its inventory of the losses at presstime, the number has been estimated to run up to 300 to 400 tons.
All the 200 fish cages scattered along the Caquipotan Channel between Anda and Bolinao have reportedly been affected, sparing only the fishing cages located in barangay Guiguiwanen, Bolinao.
The calamity areas in Anda are barangay Culang and Catubign in Bolinao; and Mal-long, Awag, Siapar and Narra.
Figures from BFAR showed that one fish cage being used in the intensive culture of bangus was stocking from 20 to 30 tons or 20,000 to 30,000 kilos. At a cost of P90 per kilo last week, this would be equivalent to P1.8 million to P2.7 million.
At the start of the fishkill, BFAR Regional Director Nestor Domenden estimated the losses at only P30 to 50 metric tons or P3 million, which observers considered to be a watered-down estimate.
A source said that granting there were only 100 fish cages that were affected, the damages could still run from P270 million to P300 million.
Three years ago, a fishkill also took place at the Caquipotan channel which resulted in P400 million in damages.
Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of the National Fisheries Technology Development Center of the BFAR in Dagupan, reported that as of June 2, fish farmers were still harvesting their bangus and rushing these to the market.
WARNING
That day, the situation in the waters of Anda and Bani were already normalizing with the dissolved oxygen (DO) level measured at 4.8 to 5 parts per million (ppm) from the normal level of 5 to 6 ppm.
When the fishkill broke out March 29, the DO level of water in the Caquipotan Channel was down to 1.5 ppm, a situation which does not allow fish to live.
The DO level in Anda and Bolinao plunged because of the occurrence of neap tide when water remains almost completely stagnant aggravated by overstocking of fish.
Rosario said his office forewarned the farmers about the occurrence of the neap tide but many of them failed to heed the warning.
Domenden said he also gave out warning.
Provincial Agriculture Officer Daisy Moya pointed out that the abrupt change of water parameters was brought by sudden heavy rains brought by Typhoon “Chedeng” that changed the temperature of the water from low to very high.
Rosario added that when there is rain, the water on top of the river overturns, adding that the surface water will become cold and the one under will be hot.
He again called on fish farmers to put science in their fish culture activities for their venture to become sustainable.
In Dagupan, the DO level in most rivers in the city was 7 ppm, which is still a safe level, according to Rosario.
Rosario said though the DO level along the Caquipotan Channel is now improving, farmers should not be over-confident yet as the water is still “malapot” on account of the heavy deposit of organic matter at the bed.
These organic matter, composed of excess feeds and fish droppings, gathered in the deeper portion of the Caquipotan Channel and poses great danger to fish being raised in fish cages, said Rosario.
Rosario said many dead fish have yet to be collected from the fish cages.
CONFISCATED
The city agriculturist office in Dagupan City, in coordination with the city police, confiscated Wednesday morning 1.2 tons of fishkill-affected bangus from western Pangasinan.
City Agriculturist Emma Molina advised consumers to check the milkfish they are buying to make sure it did not come from the affected towns of Anda and Bolinao.
Checkpoints were set up along the route going to the Magsaysay fish (bagsakan) market to ensure that no milkfish from the affected areas would find their way to the market.–LM (with a report from PIA Pangasinan/DOS)
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