Panayam kay BFAR Information and Fisherfolk Coordination Unit Head Nazario Briguera
Panayam kay BFAR Information and Fisherfolk Coordination Unit Head Nazario Briguera
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00:00 investigation of the massive fish kill in Cavite,
00:03 our conversation with Nazario Briguera,
00:07 spokesperson and head of the Information and Fisher Folk Coordination Unit of BIFAR.
00:14 This is one of our favorite agencies, BIFAR.
00:17 Sir Briguera, good afternoon and welcome to the new Philippines.
00:21 Yes, good afternoon to all who are watching your program.
00:29 Sir, based on the initial reports,
00:31 the fall of dissolved oxygen and high ammonia nitrogen
00:36 is the possible cause of the fish kill in the Canacao Bay in Cavite.
00:41 What is the cause and what is the effect of this on the health of the people?
00:46 The increase in ammonia nitrogen is expected
00:52 because we can attribute that to the fish being killed during the decomposition stage.
01:00 When there are fish kills, the primary cause is the fall of dissolved oxygen level.
01:09 But we also looked into the reason for the fall of dissolved oxygen level.
01:14 Yesterday, a new result was released by our laboratory
01:18 that showed that there was algal bloom in the area of the fish kill,
01:24 where the fish were killed.
01:27 To explain, the algal bloom occurs when there is an increase of micronutrients in the water.
01:37 This is what happens when there is algal bloom.
01:42 When there is algal bloom, it means that there are more microalgae in the water.
01:47 This is when oxygen is depleted.
01:51 Dissolved oxygen is very important for the survival of the fish in the water.
01:57 Why did they not prepare this, sir?
02:05 Algal bloom is a natural phenomenon.
02:12 It is common in our environment, especially in our waters, in the marine waters.
02:19 We do not know when it will disappear.
02:25 The only thing we can do is to have continuous monitoring of the water quality.
02:32 Okay. Sir what can happen if the problem of this massive fish kill cannot be solved?
02:41 Is it possible for this to spread?
02:44 We cannot say that it is possible for this to spread.
02:50 Although I said that it is a natural phenomenon, especially in Manila Bay.
02:54 It is possible that in one place, there will be a trigger for algal bloom.
03:00 We cannot say that because it is a natural phenomenon that there is algal bloom in one place.
03:10 Okay. Sir, you said that the cause of this is algae and it is a natural phenomenon as you mentioned.
03:22 Is it possible that one of the causes is pollution?
03:28 And can pollution be aggravated by these events?
03:32 There are literature that says that one factor, but algal bloom could be attributed to the changing temperature, heat, and rain.
03:46 So we can attribute that to that.
03:49 Okay, so it is possible that it is climate change, sir, one of the causes.
03:54 Okay. How long will it take for the process of examination and curing of the fish kill to return to normal?
04:07 Just to put in context, what happened in Cavite, the black chintilapia that are found there are not farm chintilapia.
04:20 They do not have commercial value.
04:24 So in terms of fishing activities, our fisheries in Manila Bay are still going strong.
04:30 That is where the algal bloom happened.
04:36 I said that it has no impact on the fishing industry because these fish that are caught are of low commercial value.
04:45 So the other fish that have commercial value are not affected.
04:51 What about the other fish?
04:53 Yes, yes. Mostly the black chintilapia are the ones that are affected.
04:58 The fish have a natural coping mechanism. They can swim away from the affected area.
05:07 So most of the other fish have swum away from the affected area.
05:14 And that is the only one that has been affected, the black chintilapia, or the local name that they call "aroyo."
05:23 But again, the fishermen do not notice this. So it does not have any commercial value.
05:31 Okay. But more than 30 families have been rescued because of the smell of fish kill.
05:39 Are the fishermen expected to receive help from the local government?
05:45 Well, maybe the local government unit can answer that.
05:51 Coming from the DEPAR, we will continue to extend the so-called technical assistance.
05:58 But we have heard that the local government unit will respond immediately when it comes to relief efforts for the affected families.
06:06 And we will continue to clean up the area so that it will not affect the health of the people, the fishermen who caught the fish that have a bad smell.
06:16 Okay. Sir, in other talks, can you explain the reason for the closed fishing season of sardines in Zamboanga Peninsula that was implemented yesterday?
06:29 Maybe our objective for the closed fishing season can be explained.
06:37 We are doing this as a conservation measure so that we can have a chance for our fish stocks to repopulate and spawn.
06:47 That is why we are doing a closed fishing season.
06:51 Okay. How long will this closed fishing season last? And are we prepared to assist the affected fishermen?
07:03 The closed fishing season will last for three months in North East Palawan, Visayan Sea and Zamboanga Peninsula.
07:11 When it comes to help, it is institutionalized. The different government agencies are helping each other.
07:17 This closed fishing season is held every year and there are alternatives that are given to our fishermen.
07:25 Okay. Sir, usually every December, the closed fishing season is held. Why did we do it earlier this year?
07:35 The implementation of the closed fishing season is based on the Celsius.
07:41 We are continuously studying and looking at the period of the year where there is a high incidence of spawning or the spawning of fish.
07:58 We found that we need to adjust so that the fish in the juvenile stage can grow.
08:06 Okay. Is there a punishment for those who violate this regulation regarding the fishing of sardines in Zamboanga Peninsula?
08:17 What is the punishment for this? And how can we ensure that those who violate this will be caught?
08:25 The ones who will be caught are the big fishing vessels. Usually, they are the ones who are caught and the fishermen cannot catch any more.
08:36 Yes, there are punishments for this. This includes fishing of sardines.
08:43 And what you're saying is that commercial fishing vessel operators are the ones who are really responsible for the closed fishing season.
08:53 Commercial fishing is prohibited during the closed fishing season. But for the municipal fishermen, they are still on their duty.
09:03 Okay. Sir, your last message and reminder to our countrymen.
09:09 We talked about the fish kill. So to our countrymen, if you see or observe an incident like this, please inform your local authorities.
09:25 And as per the Bureau of Fish and Aquatic Resources, we are always ready to respond to such cases.
09:32 Thank you very much for your time. I am Sario Briguera, the spokesperson of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources or BFAR.
09:42 be far.
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