High ammonia level blamed for Pangasinan fishkill

ANDA, Pangasinan, Philippines – Authorities yesterday blamed the high level of ammonia in the coastal waters of a village here for the recent fishkill.

On Friday, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional director Nestor Domenden told Mayor Aldrin Cerdan about their findings.

Based on their monitoring, Domenden said the ammonia level in the waters off Barangay Siapar was five times higher than the normal level.

“This is the cause of the recent fishkill in Anda,” he said.

Domenden advised Cerdan to prohibit operators from setting up fish cages in the area, as this would only result in losses.

He said BFAR personnel who responded to the incident have yet to determine the cost of damage, although some sources claimed it could hit P40 million.

Some operators opted to harvest their bangus early to avoid getting affected by the fishkill.

The town contributes 15 percent of the province’s total bangus production.