LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN -- IF someone sells you a newly caught Pangasinan bangus (milkfish) in Ilocos Norte, do not be surprised.

This is because the milkfish that had escaped from the pens, cages and ponds in Pangasinan almost a month ago swam up north and had reached Ilocos Norte’s coastal areas, according to a fishery official.

“Marginal fishermen in Ilocos Norte are still catching bangus from the sea up to now,” said Nestor Domenden, regional director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

“And for sure, these are from areas like Sual, Anda and Alaminos City,” he said.

The three Pangasinan towns and city were among the bangus-producing areas in the province that reported heavy losses in fishery during the onslaught of tropical storm “Cosme” on May 17.

Bangus ponds in Binmaley, Dagupan City, Lingayen and Dasol were also wiped out by the storm, allowing bangus to escape to the sea.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist here reported that bangus worth at least P1 billion were lost.

“But what aquaculture lost was actually gained by small fishermen,” Domenden said.

He said after the storm, fishermen along the Lingayen Gulf caught bangus and sold them along roadsides at 50 percent lower than the prevailing market price.

“For three straight days [after the storm], bangus prices were down,” Domenden said.

There were even cases, he said, when fishpond owners found that they suddenly had more stock after the typhoon. A pond can only have a maximum of 5,000 bangus.

“This situation was unique because while some fishpond owners lost their stock, others found theirs suddenly full,” Domenden said.

He said although only fry and overgrown bangus (sabalo) can be caught in the sea, a grown bangus could survive in the wild.

“This was why it was able to swim a 400-kilometer distance from Pangasinan to Ilocos Norte,” he said.

He said his office would distribute some 10 million bangus fry to fish growers in western Pangasinan towns as part of the fisheries rehabilitation program for typhoon victims.

The beneficiaries are Dagupan City, Binmaley, Lingayen, Labrador, Bugallon, Alaminos City, Sual, Dasol, Bani, Anda, Bolinao, San Fabian, Mangaldan and Calasiao.

The towns of Agoo, Aringay and Sto. Tomas in neighboring La Union will also be given bangus fry, Domenden said.