THE celebrated golden bangus of Dagupan City, which attracted many curious onlookers, had died more than a month ago most likely due to stress and low dissolved oxygen (DO)

Dr. Westly Rosario, center chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and director of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology and Development Center, is saddened by the fish’s death.

The caretaker said he did not see any hint that something was wrong and just found the golden bangus already “belly up” the following day.

Rosario learned about the loss on June 24 but decided not to make it public until July 27.when he announced it to the media.

He said the bangus must have died due to low DO because, at about that time, other species in the BFAR center suffered the same fate.

He acknowledged that they had a problem with water quality as there was a lack of water supply from the sea as the seawater intake could have been impeded by the build- up of sand due to erosion.

“It limited our capacity to pump water into our hatcheries,” he said.

OTHER DEATHS

Among the other species that died were the short-finned pampano imported from China which the center was also breeding.

He said initially, he was ecstatic about the success of their pampano breeding for 31 days but their achievement turned out to be short-lived.

Rosario said the golden bangus was observed earlier to be a “loner” and isolated itself from other species in a 300-square meter pond. But it eventually adjusted well and became agile again.

Rosario said the stress on the golden bangus could had been brought by the series of picture-taking of excited onlookers after it was reported that this one-of-a-kind fish was being raised in the center.

The more than one-year-old golden bangus was raised from a fishpond in Barangay Linoc, Binmaley by fish farmer Ariel Fernandez who donated it to BFAR Dagupan last summer.

It was 50 centimeters long and weighed 1.2 kilos when it was donated to the BFAR.

More than 50 percent above its body is golden while its belly is silver.

Proud of its new acquisition, a huge tarpaulin was hung at the BFAR’S main entrance with a message that read: “Welcome to the Home of the Golden Bangus”.

Rosario said it would have taken four to five years for the fish to reach sexual maturity, during which time it can already be used for experiment.—Eva Visperas

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