Pangasinan bangus industry in peril

DAGUPAN CITY — It seems nature is getting back at its abusers.

The mushrooming of fishpens and fishcages here has resulted in successive fishkills and unless their operators heed the authorities’ advice, the local bangus (milkfish) industry may die.

Thus, observed Westly Rosario, local head of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) who expressed alarm over waters here and upstream in Binmaley town turning reddish brown.

Rosario has urged fishpen operators to heed the government’s call for them to dismantle their fish structures and allow the rains to flush out wastes from fish feeds.

Citing the occurrence of fishkills in the past two years, Rosario urged officials of affected towns to exercise political will. He said previous deadlines imposed on fishpen operators to dismantle their structures went to naught due to "human consideration."

Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim, however, has given fishpen owners until July 15 to voluntarily remove their structures or else he would order the dismantling.

Lim said there has been no change in the water whose discoloration, he added, could affect upstream of the river.

He expressed fear that Dagupan and Binmaley may suffer the fate of Bolinao town which was hit by a massive fishkill last February.