They say tilapia raised in Batangas is best; bangus naman from Pangasinan is tops lalo na the ones coming from Bonoan (matulis ang nguso) and Dagupan which is the choice for pang- ihaw.
Mmmm, sarap talaga…nga lang, these days, di na masyadong favorites ang mga ito.
It all started with the ‘fishkill’ at the Batangas side of the Lake as summer was ending.
In the first days alone, some 752.6 metric tons of fish floated dead in the Lake, a result, authorities say, of a sudden drop in temperature that lowered the oxygen level of the waters.
The fishkill was the worst climate change disaster to hit Batangas- the comment came from that province’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. In Talisay town’s side of the Lake alone, the fishkill involved 375 metric tons of bangus; in Laurel town 160 metric tons of tilapia, 50 metric tons of bangus, and 1.6 million metric tons of bangus fingerlings; in Agoncillo 160 metric tons of tilapia, and in San Nicolas 12 metric tons of bangus.
The fishes were seen swimming around in circles before floating dead to the surface.
‘Kaswapangan’, ito naman ang sinasabi ng mga mambabatas sa nangyaring fishkill. Sinabi din iyan ni Gov. Vilma Recto. Agree ako at ng marami nating mga kababayan dyan.
Aquaculture is a multimillion peso business in that province. It is estimated that there are at least 6000 fish cages around Taal Lake, many of them owned by Chinese and Korean businessmen. It is a short- term investment and said to be very lucrative.
Sa dami nila at sa volume ng mga isdang pilit nilang pinagkakasya at pinagsisiksikan sa kani- kanilang mga hawla, hayun at naging overpopulated ang Lawa kaya’t ng mag- iba ang temperature, nagkulang para sa bawa’t isa ang oxygen at sila ay nangamatay. Kawawang mga isda- kung meron man lang sanang sarili silang Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Fishes (para bang SPCA para sa mga hayup), napigil sana ito noon pa man.
Nakita rin ang kawalang silbi ng concerned government agency na naging pabaya sa usaping ito. Overstocked- yan ang findings ng ilang ahensya sa pagri rekorida nila sa Lawa after/ as fishkill was ongoing.
Byahe naman tayo sa may kalayuang probinsya ng Pangasinan. In very few areas there, nagkaroon din ng fishkill but not as serious as what happened in Batangas.
Pero, nasaktan din ang mga tindero at tindera sa kanilang pagbibenta ng bangus. Of course the bangus industry in Pangasinan, too.
Naku, marami- rami na yatang bangus festivals ang ginaganap over the past two weeks- personalities eating bangus, sinasakmal, nginangasab, all for the benefit of the cameras. Hindi nakamamatay ang isdang ito- iyon ang message. Latest to stage his was Mayor Hernani Braganza. Fishtival ed Alaminos featured an open boodle fight of broiled bangus for everyone to partake of. Alaminos has been fishkill- free for seven years now but the good Mayor is very concerned by the very low bangus sale nowadays. All because of the fishkill scare.
As we now realize, may maganda rin namang naging kinahinatnan ang nangyaring ito- very expensive nga lamang para sa atin. Pinapag- iingat na ang mga operators ng fish cages. Dapat lang! Yung sa mga opisina ng gobyerno, hmmm, kwidaw na ang mga kumikita ng extra dahil sa pag- aalaga sa fishcage businessmen. Sa Batasan naman, I am sure research galore ang iba’t ibang congressional staff and teams to prepare proposed bills that would protect, number one- the environment; two- the residents of fishing towns; and three- the industry.
Hoping many things positive will come out of this costly experience.
THANK YOU, TORONTO!
