Cebu fishermen and fish growers are also hurting from the ill effects of the El Niño phenomenon. /CDN File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Visayas (BFAR-7) have already recorded P653,649 worth of damages in the fisheries sector in Cebu as a result of the El Niño.
“Ang una gyung naapektuhan mao ang mga seaweeds sa mabaw nga area kay daghan mang culture system sa seaweeds. Dunay sa mabaw, dunay moderate nga giladmon ug duna po’y lawom (Seaweeds that were planted on shallow waters were te most affected because there are different culture systems. There are seaweeds planted on shallow waters while there are also those that are planted in moderately deep waters and in deep waters),” said Edgar Delfin, Cebu Provincial Fishery Officer of BFAR-7.
Quoting data from the incident reports that they have received from different localities, BFAR-7 recorded damages on bangus – P210,889; tilapia – P242,700; kitong- P20,000; and seaweeds -P180,000.
Affected areas included the cities of Carcar and Mandaue and towns of Carmen, Cordova, Alcantara and Badian.
Delfin said that the amount of damage is expected to further increase as they continue their evaluation and assessment in the different Local Government Units in Cebu province including the seaweed farms in northern Cebu.
Based on their initial assessment, fish kills on some fish ponds resulted from the overstocking of fingerlings, oxygen depletion and reduction of water level due to the intense heat while seaweed farms were affected by what seaweed farmers call as the “ice-ice” disease which results from high temperature.
To prevent more losses, Delfin is asking especially the fishpond operators to reduce their stocking of fish to avoid oxygen competition, implement emergency harvest, install water pumps and transfer their cages or seaweed farms to a deeper portion of the sea.
He also advised fish growers not to worry too much because production is expected to already increase in June.
But he explained that the heat do not only bring destruction to marine resources. They also benefit the bangus growers.
Delfin said that bangus eggs hatch during the warm season to produce more larvae. /dcb