MORE NEWS, DAGUPAN CITY

Low supply of bangus expected in 3 months
By Jennelyn Mondejar

DAGUPAN CITY – “Very low” supply of Dagupan or Bonuan bangus (milkfish) is expected in the next three months, city officials said even as the fishery industry suffered P547 million in losses as tropical storm “Cosme” battered the province last week.

The city council, presided over by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, declared a state of calamity in a special session late Monday afternoon.

“Expect a shortage of Bonuan and Dagupan bangus the coming weeks,” Fernandez said.

Mayor Simplicio Rosario of Binmaley town, considered as the province’s “fish bowl,” said their own fishery industry also suffered about P160 million in losses in bangus, malaga (siganid), and prawns raised in fishponds.

Rosario had to cut short his stay in the United States and flew back Tuesday to help his townmates.

He said he appealed for help from President Arroyo and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap in a letter he sent May 20.

“I hope the President can help us because the fishery sector is the life of our province,” he said.

Ninety-five percent of Dagupan City’s fishery sector produces bangus.
During normal days, bangus traded here daily reaches 25 to 30 tons, of which about 10 tons come from the city.

“We will be depending practically on what is left in the stocks,” Fernandez said, adding bangus grows from three to five months.

About 70 percent of bangus stocks were carried into rivers as heavy rains and strong winds brought by Cosme destroyed fishponds.

This has led to an extreme drop in bangus prices since Sunday, reaching as low as P15 a kilo.

More than 1,000 fishpens in rivers here, including the illegal ones, were wiped out, with only about 50 remaining, authorities said.

On May 20, bangus price started to increase from P30 to P50 per kilo.