PREMATURE harvesting of milkfish by fish farmers in Bolinao and Anda, who feared the effect of neap tide called “gataw” led to the drastic drop in the price of their product from P20 to 30 per kilogram last June 5.

A report stated that traders and buyers trooped to Western Pangasinan that day upon learning that fish farmers were selling their bangus at give-away prices.

Fish farmers reportedly harvested their fish prematurely because of fear that their fish will die overnight due to insufficiency of oxygen during the neap tide, a situation when water of rivers is calm and practically not moving,

Retired BFAR Center Chief Westly Rosario was quoted saying that “gataw” impacts more on fish ponds and fish cages that are overcrowded, thus the need to reduce the number of fish in captivity.

Fish kill also ensues when it rains hard after a long hot period, putting the fish in a thermal shock, and also when the water is polluted, said Rosario.

Dagupan and other coastal towns of Pangasinan fared better in spite of neap tide because fish farmers were able to undertake effective measures to save their fish, particularly, reducing the fish in their fish ponds and cages and limiting the amount of feeds they give to the fish.

Meanwhile, the drastic drop in the price of milkfish in Western Pangasinan had no significant effect at the Magsaysay Fish Market in Dagupan where one kilo of bangus remains at P100 to P120.

From Indonesia, Mayor Belen Fernandez called the City Agriculture Office to be on alert 24/7 and to conduct thorough inspection shipments of bangus from Western Pangasinan to prevent entry of rotten fish at the Magsaysay Market. (Leonardo Micua)

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