Fish kills in some areas noted
HOT-COLD CLIMATE-INDUCED
INTENSE heat has caused cases of fish kill or ‘tangok’ among fishponds in the province.
Some fishponds in Binmaley, Dagupan City, and in Western Pangasinan have recorded ‘gataw’, a local term denoting a phenomenon where fishes surface gasping for air and eventually die.
Mang Jerry, a bangus grower in Dagupan City, said the phenomenon usually happens when weather suddenly changes, i.e., when intense heat during the day turns into thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening it disrupts the levels of dissolved oxygen in the waters, causing the fish to surface for air.
In some cases, fish may not die from oxygen starvation, but of shock due to the rapid change in temperature.
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) has begun monitoring areas affected by fish kill. Estimate of losses are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, authorities urge the public to take caution and have a keen eye when buying fish these days.
In Dagupan City, the City Agriculture Office (CAO) strictly monitors incoming fish deliveries, as some fish traders may mix in fishes that died from fish kill.
Auxiliary invoices are needed to gain access to the city’s markets.
Meanwhile, Mang Jerry said he and others were forced to harvest bangus early to prevent more losses. (Ahikam Pasion)
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