CLARK FREEPORT – Amid estimates of P1.2 billion in agricultural damages due to drought in 22 provinces in Visayas and Mindanao, even fishermen are now claiming being adversely affected by dry weather.
“In Manila Bay, fish catch of small fishers has declined from the usual seven-10 kilos to only about three kilos per fishing trip. The fishing sector is not spared from drought induced by the El Nino phenomenon,” the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said in a statement on Monday.
Pamalakaya chair Fernando Hicap said, “small fishers are now enduring the diminishing fish catch due to El Niño.”
“Oftentimes, there’s only an empty net to bring home. Fishing during El Niño is more difficult than usual because fish and other marine species migrate and move to deeper waters to find cooler temperature. Drought also triggers ecological disturbances such as massive fish kills and red tide phenomenon which effectively disrupt our fishing activity,” he said.
Hicap cited the case of fishers at Laguna de Bay where the quality of fishes is adversely affected by the hot weather, leading to low prices.
Ronnel Arambulo, coordinator of Pamalakaya in Laguna de Bay explained that “during the dry spell, fish in Laguna de Bay acquires earthy taste and smell locally known as ‘gilik’ because they go deep down the lake.”
He said this has already led to the plunge in the prices of the fishes. “Farm gate price of tilapia is now P20 per kilo compared to the pre-drought price of P50 per kilo or a 40 percent drop, while farm gate price of bangus or milkfish is now P50 per kilo, a 71 percent drop from the pre-drought price of P70 per kilo,” Arambulo noted.
Pamlakaya has urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) “to provide immediate relief in a form of economic assistance and subsidy to the fisherfolk whose livelihood are affected by the dry spell.”
“El Niño starves the rural people especially the fishers and farmers as they are the frontline casualties of this prolonged dry spell. Without delay, BFAR should address this situation by mobilizing its calamity fund to help drought-stricken fishing and rural communities,” Hicap said.
