Bangus, tilapia shortage ‘very imminent’ – BFAR

Typhoon Glenda left behind broken fish pens that will mean a shortage of milkfish (bangus), tilapia, and other aquaculture products over the next nine months, the Fisheries bureau said.

Burerau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director Asis Perez said in a report on GMA's "24 Oras" aired Thursday evening that a shortage will affect the market in the next three weeks.

"Very imminent yung pagkukulang ng supply sa aquaculture, particularly bangus at tilapia. Makaka-apekto po yan sa—'di lamang sa Metro Manila—kundi sa mga kalapit lugar po natin."



Broken pens have meant a bounty of fish in recent days, bringing prices in some areas down to as low as P2 per kilogram.

"Noong unang araw kasi, mahal mahal [pa]. Etong pangalawa, komo sa dami ng humuhuli, at saka walang kuryente, nagmura," said Jose Tagle of Binangonan, Rizal.

Consumers have also been shying away from fish, fearing they may have been caught in the polluted Pasig River.

"Even assuming na galing po sa Pasig, pina-test ko po yung isda. Nung pong Saturday, kumuha po kami ng sample, pinakunan po namin ng heavy metals. Dumating na po yung resulta sa opisina ko kahapon (at) normal po yung levels," Perez said.

To help address the expected shortage, the BFAR will release fish fry in areas that were not hit by the typhoon. The bureau also promised to help affected fish farmers recover from the damage brought by the typhoon.

Bangus prices have shown signs of stabilizing on Thursday, more than a week after Glenda destroyed fishpens in the Calabarzon region.

Laguna Lake, where many fish pens are, suffered at least P2 billion in damage from the storm. — RT/JDS, GMA News