Dagupan seeks BFAR help as more ‘bangus’ turn belly-up

DAGUPAN CITY—The city government is seeking technical assistance from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to determine why milkfish (“bangus”) are dying in local fish pens and assess the extent of losses suffered by fish growers.

The deaths were reported in several fish pens, particularly in Barangay Pugaro, with the situation worsening on Oct. 12 after days of heavy rainfall.

The city government, however, classified the incident as “fish mortalities” rather than a “fish kill,” citing a distinction between the two terms.

READ: LOOK: Dagupan ‘bangus’ harvest peaks on Holy Wednesday

In a social media post, the local government said a fish kill refers to the sudden death of a large number of fish within a short period, while fish mortalities refer to recorded fish deaths regardless of the number of fish involved or the cause.

“Not all fish mortalities qualify as a fish kill. In Dagupan, fish mortalities have been recorded in several fish pens in Barangay Pugaro, but the incident is not classified as a fish kill,” the city government said.

Multiple species

But Christopher Sibayan, head of the fisherfolk group Samahan ng mga Magbabangus sa Pangasinan, said the incident in the fishery areas should be classified as a fish kill because multiple fish species were affected.

READ: Overstocking, overfeeding of ‘bangus’ eyed in Dagupan fish kill

He explained that the death of only one species would be considered mass mortality, while the deaths of several species—including cultured lapu-lapu and wild fish such as hardy tilapia—would constitute a fish kill.

Former National Fisheries Development Center (NFDC) head Westly So said mass fish deaths in Dagupan’s fish pens and rivers should be investigated through physical, biological and chemical assessments of affected waterways to determine the cause and prevent a recurrence.

He said fish mortality refers to fish deaths in ponds, cages or fish pens, while mass mortality or a fish kill involves large numbers of dead fish, potentially across different species and sizes.

The city has asked the BFAR regional office to assess water quality, determine the possible causes of the fish deaths and verify the reported losses.

It is also coordinating with the NFDC to obtain fingerlings and seeking fuel subsidies from the national government to help fish growers cover the operating costs of water pumps.

BFAR Ilocos regional director Remely Lachica said the agency was awaiting data from the city government on the volume of losses and damage, as well as the number and locations of fish pens along the city’s rivers.

Fish pen operators earlier told the Inquirer that milkfish began floating belly-up on Oct. 5, with the number of dead fish increasing over the following days. The situation worsened on Oct. 11, when heavy rain hit the city.

Some operators resorted to emergency harvesting to salvage their stocks, but the sudden influx of bangus in local markets caused prices to plunge.

By Oct. 12, most fish pens had reportedly been affected. One operator said all 7,000 fish in his pen had died.

A fish pen operator also called for stricter regulation of fish pens along the city’s rivers, saying overcrowding could be contributing to the recurring fish deaths.

“There are just too many already,” the operator said.