Regulate ‘bangus’ stock, Bulacan fish growers told

CITY OF MALOLOS — Fish pen operators in Bulacan towns like Obando have been asked to regulate the volume of fish grown in their ponds, in the aftermath of the recent fishkill that resulted in losses worth about P30 million.

Fish pens covering 150 hectares in 11 villages in Obando lost 250 metric tons of “bangus” (milkfish) due to crowding when temperatures rose high enough to disrupt oxygen level in the water, said Wilfredo Cruz, Central Luzon director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Cruz said Obando and other towns needed to pass ordinances that would stop fishpond operators from overstocking and overfeeding their fish.

He said each pen could accommodate 3,000 to 5,000 fingerlings, but some structures they inspected contained 10,000 fingerlings.

Inspection

Gloria Carillo, Bulacan agriculturist, said BFAR personnel on May 8 inspected about 40 pens, which lost its stocks due to low water oxygen. Some of the pens were empty during the inspection.

In 2017, bangus totaling 100 MT were affected by extreme heat while 150 MT of fish were destroyed in 2015 also due to the heat. —Carmel Reyes-Estrope