Dagupan issues alert vs ‘bangus’ from 2 towns

Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) valued the losses from the fishkill, which began on Sunday, at more than P40.71 million. AP

Emma Molina, Dagupan agriculturist, issued the call after her office confiscated on Tuesday and Wednesday three truckloads of milk fish from the two western Pangasinan towns as these were about to be unloaded, and sold at the Magsaysay fish market.

Molina said one can easily tell if a milk fish is among those that died from the fishkill by inspecting its gills. “It’s pale, almost white. But if the milk fish is fresh, the gills are red,” she said.

On Monday, Molina ordered the setting up of checkpoints along the route going to the Magsaysay fish market to ensure that no milk fish from aquaculture areas hit by the fishkill in Anda and Bolinao would find their way to the wholesale market.

On Tuesday, two truckloads of milk fish were seized, while another truckload was held on Wednesday after these were found to be unfit for consumption.

A report from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) valued the losses from the fishkill, which began on Sunday, at more than P40.71 million. Fish pen and cage operators from Anda lost more than P25 million, while operators from Bolinao lost more than P15 million.

OPAg reports showed that the fishkill hit the Anda villages of Mal-ong, with six fish pens; Awag, 18 pens; Siapar, a pen and three cages; and Narra, eight pens.

At least 280 metric tons or some 980,000 pieces of bangus in various sizes went belly up in the island town. Some P1.8 million worth of fingerlings were also lost.

In Bolinao, some 240 MT, or about two million pieces of bangus from 23 cages in Barangay Culang and 27 cages in Catubig, were lost.

Molina said her office recorded no fishkill in the city and other bangus-producing areas like Binmaley and Mangaldan towns.

The provincial government started last year a massive clearing of the Agno River and its tributaries of fish pens and other structures to help prevent flash floods and other problems, including fishkill.

The clearing operations were done in rivers in Lingayen, Bugallon, Binmaley, Labrador and San Fabian towns.

The Dagupan City government also ordered the demolition of fishery structures in the city’s waterways.