The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Thursday assured the public that there will be no shortage of fish products in the coming months, even as instances of fish kills continue to be reported from various aquaculture areas across the country. "We are very far from experiencing a fish shortage. We also do not expect any rise in the prices of fish products, except during the Holy Week when fish is in demand," BFAR director Malcolm Sarmiento told GMANews.TV in an phone interview. Sarmiento explained that the losses in fresh water fishery caused by the current El Niño dry spell are less than 100 tons, or not even 10 percent of last year’s total production, which he pegged at 250,000 tons. He, however, admitted that the government has already lost P5 million due to fish kills, especially from the provinces of Isabela and Ifugao. BFAR has earlier reported a fish kill in Isabela, which yielded about 10,000 kilograms of dead tilapia retrieved from the Magat Dam. [See: BFAR monitoring reported fish kill, red tide]
GMA News also reported similar incidents of fish kill in Taal Lake in Batangas and in Zamboanga City, where dead tilapia and milkfish have begun to float in fresh waters due to low levels of dissolved oxygen caused by the dry spell. Sarmiento said there is no need for the public to worry for a possible fish shortage, since losses in fresh water aquaculture are being offset by production from marine waters, which he said reaches its “peak" during the dry season. "Based on our experience, the El Niño years are better for our marine sources. We are already entering our peak season in fish production for salt water, so we can offset our losses in aquaculture," he said. "During the dry season, our seas are calm, so fishermen can fish longer, and we can get our supply of saltwater fishes such as
galunggong (mackerel scad),
tamban (sardine) and
dalagang-bukid (yellow tail fusilier)," he added.
Dye-tainted fish In a separate interview with GMA News, Sarmiento also warned the public against vendors who resort to using red dyes to make their fish products appear fresh. “
Ang ginagawa nila, kung may banyera at may mga isda doon, magbubuhos sila doon ng jobos (dye)
at ihahalo nila ‘yun. Papasok iyon sa hasang ng mga isda at pulang-pula (What some vendors do is they mix dye in a container filled with fish. The dye enters the fish gills and these become red and appear fresh)," he told GMA News. The Department of Health (DOH) said eating dye-tainted fish may cause nausea and difficulty in breathing, and may also trigger allergic reactions. "Dyes have toxic substances… If you get to accidentally eat this, it will have a harmful effect on us as well," said Dr. Lyndon Uy of the DOH Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease Division.
- RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV 
GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
