“Mol-mol” tilapia invades fishponds
FISHPOND owners in the province are in distress due to the invasion of “Gloria Tilapia,” locally named as “mol-mol”,
Dr. Westly Rosario, center chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center in this city, said fishpond owners already sought his advice on how to get rid of the fish, considered as pests by fish growers.
Rosario said that mol-mol, a local moniker owing to the local mole-like spots on the underside of chin of “Gloria Tilapia,” are very prolific, easily outnumbering bangus (milkfish) commonly cultured in fishponds.
The name Gloria Tilapia was coined fish growers who were reminded of the diminutive former President Gloria Arroyo’s mole on her face. The “mol-mol” is also small and grows to only 10 centimeters only, Rosario said.
Gloria Tilapia became a problem about five years ago in Bataan and has since
been giving fishpond owners a headache coping with it. It is sold at P20 to P30 a kilo only because its taste is not as appealing as the other specie, he added.
He said fishpond owners can make use of “mol-mol” invasion in their ponds by using them as feeds of high-value fish species like seabass.
He advised fishpond owners to observe biological control when they apply tea-seed after harvest to poison unwanted elements left in their ponds and to let it stay for three days before putting new stocks to culture.
Also, Rosario said fish growers/fishpond caretakers must use fine mesh net when putting on new water from a river to their ponds to prevent the “mol-mol” from entering the fishpond. (Tita Roces)
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