By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — A fish kill has again hit portions of Dagupan City’s aquaculture industry, leaving milkfish (bangus) dead in at least one fishpond in Barangay Lucao this week, although industry leaders assured the public that the incident has not disrupted the country’s overall bangus supply.
A fisheries expert said the fish mortality was likely triggered by the abrupt transition from prolonged hot weather to heavy rainfall, a condition that can rapidly alter water temperature, lower dissolved oxygen levels and degrade water quality in fishponds.
The incident is among the latest challenges confronting fish growers in Pangasinan, one of the country’s major producers of bangus, where sudden weather changes continue to threaten aquaculture operations.
Despite the localized losses, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said there is no cause for concern over the availability of bangus in the market, stressing that production from other areas remains sufficient to meet consumer demand.
Local authorities and fisheries officials are closely monitoring the affected fishponds while advising operators to regularly check water quality, maintain proper pond management and implement preventive measures to minimize further losses as unstable weather conditions persist.
ia/xf
