SUAL—This town boasts of its fish cages that produce P2.5 billion a year sales of bangus (milkfish) which makes it the biggest bangus producer in a municipal level nationwide.

This was confirmed by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 1 Director Nestor Domenden, Mayor Roberto Arcinue said.

Arcinue said, daily bangus harvest in the 750 fish cages located along Cabalitian Bay here is 60 tons a day or 60,000 kilos.

In one year, some 50 million pieces of bangus (for two-piece a kilo size) are harvested and that, he said, translates to P2.5-billion a year assuming one kilo is P100. (a piece costs P50).

The combined produce of Anda and Bolinao towns is equivalent to the produce in Sual, Arcinue said.

Sual contributes 30 percent of the consumption of Metro Manila of bangus, the mayor said, quoting Domenden. Daily bangus harvest here is brought to Navotas and Malabon, and a few in Dagupan City.

“So in terms of food security of the country, Sual is a big contributor,” he said.

The town earns P10-million in taxes a year from fish cages operations.

A fish cage with an 18 –meter diameter costs P650,000 can raise 45,000 pieces of bangus at one-time production period for about six months.

“Sual is ideal because it has deep water (about 20 meters), unlike Anda and Bolinao,” he said. The net in the cages is about six meters only so there’s remaining 14 meters equivalent to a five-story building at the bottom of the sea, he added.

Arcinue said there has been no incidence of fish kill nor red tide in Sual, a proof that they are observing good aquaculture practices and pointed out that whale sharks and dolphins are sighted in the area which proves that the town’s water is clean and food is available to them like small fish.

“What makes Sual ideal for bangus culture in fish cages? We have deep water, there’s enough oxygen, water is clean, it has underwater current so bangus wastes and unconsumed fish feeds are washed out,” Arcinue said.

The lukewarm treated water from the town’s coal-fired power plant that goes to the bay is another boost for growth of the bangus, Arcinue said. “It’s like having hot shower,” he said.

“Compare our seawater here. It’s blue green that proves it’s clean,” Arcinue added.

Each fish cage here employs at least two persons as caretakers, thus it helps a lot in job generation, he added. (Tita Roces)

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