Fish farmers told to redesign ponds
TO COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE
AN agricultural engineer is advocating a change in the traditional design of fish ponds in the province in order to cope with the impact of climate change.
Dr. Catalino de la Cruz, a topnotch agricultural engineer, said fish farmers must take the threat of climate change to aquaculture seriously and should be open to new technology to minimize the ill effects of the phenomenon.
De la Cruz specialized in integrated agriculture-aquaculture farming, engaged in lake/reservoir farming and intensive systems, and introduced aquaculture engineering in fresh and water environments.
He said climate change will not only cause the rising of water level but will also bring higher temperature in land and water, particularly in fishponds where milkfish, tilapia and high-value fish like malaga (siganid), grouper (lapu-lapu), sea bass, prawns, shrimps are raised.
For fishponds to cope with the higher temperature of the water, these must be redesigned by making them deeper and raising the dikes in order to prevent an overflow of water in the pond.
On the other hand, the nets of cages should be adjusted so they can adopt to the needs of the fish in captivity affected by the rise of temperature brought about by changing climate.
Meanwhile, Wilfredo Yap, an expert in marine and brackishwater aquaculture development, said climate change may actually be a boon and not always a bane to fish farmers.
He recalled that in the July 16, 1990 earthquake, some of the fishponds of Aringay, La Union near the shore sank and the level of water was higher than fishpond dikes. To cut losses, fish farmers can convert their submerged fishponds into fish cages.
The other option is to encircle submerged fishponds with nets and continue to raise fish in captivity again. (Leonardo Micua)
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