BFAR: Neap tide threat to ‘bangus’ now over

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines - – Bangus (milkfish) growers can now heave a sigh of relief as the threat of neap tide is over and tidal fluctuation is now back to normal, according to the center chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) here.

“It’s now high tide and water exchange is now reaching the normal one-meter level compared to neap tide which was only 20 centimeters,” BFAR center chief Westly Rosario told The STAR yesterday.

“This means there is already enough water exchange. We are now into spring tide,” he said.

He also allayed fears of fish kill due to high temperature being experienced this summer.

Rosario said they have so far not recorded any fish kill, contrary to reports that a minor fish kill happened in Anda town the other day.

He said his team continues to monitor dissolved oxygen levels in various bangus-producing areas in Pangasinan.

Rosario said that on May 23-25, when neap tide occurred, “we experienced the lowest level of dissolved oxygen.”

He said he studied their monitoring data on May 6 and the problem area was Culang in Bolinao town or the left side of the bridge facing Anda town.

The other sampling areas seemed to be in a critical level only, he added.