Pangasinan restocks rivers with tilapia fingerlings

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines  – The provincial government of Pangasinan continues to replenish communal bodies of water in the province with marine species, particularly tilapia, in line with its two-pronged program of aggressive environment protection and rehabilitation and livelihood promotion for local fisherfolk.

Some two million fingerlings have been released so far into more than 250 communal waterways throughout Pangasinan since 2007 when Gov. Amado Espino Jr. assumed the gubernatorial post.

Dalisay Moya, officer-in-charge of the provincial agricultural office, said the tilapia seeding project has benefited thousands of marginal fishermen in the province.

This month alone, three fingerling dispersal activities were conducted in the towns of Mangaldan, Sta. Maria, and Sison.

Last June 17, about 25,000 tilapia fingerlings were set free into the Angalacan and Old Mangaldan rivers covering 11 barangays in Mangaldan town, while 40,000 fingerlings were released in certain waterways covering seven barangays in Sta. Maria.

Another 40,000 tilapia fingerlings were also released in communal rivers covering six barangays in Sison town last June 21.

Moya said the project was meant to increase the number of tilapia breeders in the communal waterways for residents to enjoy a “bountiful supply of fish in our rivers and give additional food for the villagers in the affected barangays.”

Moya said the program is part of Espino’s environmental advocacy aimed at protecting and rehabilitating rivers to make them more beneficial for the people.

She said Espino has cited the fish stock enhancement project for complementing his flagship river cleanup program entitled “Ilog Ko, Bilayen Ko Tan Aroen Ko.”