The fishery regulatory officer of the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) has warned fish cage operators of the possibility of “fish kill” in the province if the concerned local government units continue to grant business permits to aquaculture applicants. Based on the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, Arthur Valente, PAO’s fishery regulatory officer, pointed out that only 10 percent of the total surface area of water should be allowed for the construction of fish cages and other structures. However with the increasing number of small- and medium-scale enterprises that are now engaged in aquaculture, Valente said there is a need to regulate their operations to avoid “fish kill” in the future. “Fish kill” is the mass drowning of fishes due to lack of oxygen in the water brought about by the unusually high number of structures built in their marine habitat. Records obtained from PAO showed that there are at least 355 fish cage operators in the province, operating in 26.75 hectares of fresh and brackish waters. If the number of fish cages will further increase, Valente warned that the quality of fish stock will be degraded, which may result to water pollution or fish kill if not properly regulated. He cited the fish cage areas in Gabu Sur and Mangato creek in Laoag City, Quaoit River in Batac, and Gaang in Currimao, which are all under critical observation due to the overcrowding of fish cages. He added that of the 10 percent allowable surface area, operators in Gabu Sur and Mangato had already exceeded their fish cage operation. To combat this, Valente is coordinating with concerned authorities and is conducting information drives to fish kill-prone areas to prevent any damages to the province’s aquaculture industry. Valente added that while it is true that the provincial government has backed aquaculture operations in the province as an alternative source of income for fishermen, there is still a need to regulate the industry and to implement what is embodied in the law. Leilanie G. Adriano
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