The early effects of El Niño are beginning to bite, with fishery losses in the Magat Dam area swelling to an estimated P100 million as receding water levels trigger fish kills in Ifugao and Isabela.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said the falling water level has sharply reduced dissolved oxygen in the reservoir, suffocating large volumes of farmed fish and forcing growers to harvest early to salvage what they can.
Nazario Briguera, officer in charge of BFAR Cordillera and the agency’s national spokesperson, said two refrigerated vans have been deployed to help affected fish farmers rush emergency harvests to market before more stocks perish.
BFAR has also sent technical teams to continuously monitor water quality as conditions in the reservoir remain critical.
Even before the latest fish kill, Briguera said the agency had been warning fish cage operators that the retreating water level, combined with intense heat and faster evaporation brought by El Niño, significantly increased the risk of oxygen depletion.
“They were advised to conduct emergency harvest. Right now, BFAR Cordillera will conduct relief operation in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and local government units. We have already requested quick response funds from the DA. Our Technology Centers have prepositioned tilapia fingerlings as part of the recovery and rehab plan,” Briguera said.
The mounting losses underscore the growing economic toll of El Niño on the agriculture sector even before it actually hit around November, with aquaculture now joining crops in bearing the brunt of prolonged dry conditions.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Department of Agriculture, through BFAR, plans to install solar-powered aeration systems in aquaculture areas such as Magat Dam to help prevent oxygen depletion during periods of extreme heat and low water levels.
Briguera said BFAR National Director Elizer Salilig has already instructed concerned regional offices to immediately prepare project proposals following the agriculture chief’s directive, signaling a shift toward longer-term climate resilience measures instead of relying solely on emergency response.
For fish farmers around Magat, however, the immediate priority remains saving as much of this season’s harvest as possible before the reservoir shrinks further.
