Cagayan Valley benefits from small water reservoirs amid El Niño

SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela — The fishing industry in Cagayan Valley has remained resilient in the face of a dry spell sweeping across the country, thanks to small water reservoirs built by the Cagayan and Isabela provincial governments. The man-made ponds both serve as irrigation and house fish during the dry season, saving fishermen and farmers from the wrath of El Niño. Rolando Maneja, secretary of the 40-member Liwan Norte Irrigators Association (LNIA) in Enrile town, said they had harvested more than 700 kilos of fish, mainly tilapia, from the 50-hectare Liwan Norte small water impoundment reservoirs since November. They sell the fish for P65 a kilo. A water impoundment reservoir is a pool of water formed by a dam or pit that supplies water for livestock, wildlife, and control gully erosion. It was adopted by Cagayan Governor Alvaro Antonio as a mitigating measure in case of events that can affect their food supply. “Aside from having a standby supply of water during the dry season [under] the El Niño phenomenon we are experiencing now, small water impoundments have proven to be useful for fish farmers as well," he said, adding that the 11 reservoirs built in Alcala during his term as mayor, are now benefiting the town’s economy. A simple hook and line is the only fishing gear allowed to prevent overfishing. Several enterprising individuals have also installed fish cages within the reservoirs following a technology demonstration by the regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. “Hopefully, I can harvest my stock by March," said Sergio Carlos, a fish cage operator. He expects to harvest 1.7 metric tons of fish from his five 25-square meter fish cages. The association collects user fees from fish cage operators. In Usol village, Jones town in Isabela, about 10 kilograms of fish are harvested daily from the reservoirs. The fish are sold for P80 pesos a kilo. Village chief Diosdado Lazaro said harvest is continuous given periodic stocking by the Fisheries bureau. Fish cages Like in Liwan, several fish cages have also sprouted in water reservoirs, providing an additional source of food and income for the farming community. BFAR Assistant Regional Director Severina Bueno said about a million fingerlings have been stocked in 104 irrigation facilities since last year. Fingerlings consist mainly of tilapia and some carp to ensure species diversity. The stocking rate is 5,000 pieces per hectare. “Small water impoundment projects and small farm reservoirs are ideal for fish production given their semi-confined feature, which minimizes the threat of floods and strong water current in case of bad weather," Bueno said. The government expects losses of 264,940 metric tons (MT) of rice worth close to P4 billion and 174,224 MT of corn valued at P2.26 billion under a mild El Niño. The fishery subsector could lose 21,181 MT of catch worth P1.27 billion, while losses in the high-value crop sector could hit 3.17 million MT worth P583 million under a mild El Niño attack. Meanwhile, a severe dry spell could lead to losses of 816,372 MT of rice worth P12.24 billion; 440,429 MT of corn worth P5.2 billion; 42,362 MT of marine catch worth P2.54 billion; and 3.08 million MT of high-value crops worth 443 million. — NPA, GMANews.TV