SAVE
THE WORLD'S SMALLEST COMMERCIAL FISH
SINARAPAN
Sinarapan in Lake Manapao,
Buhi, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Sinarapan, scientifically
known as Mistichthys luzonensis and
considered the world's smallest commercial fish, is threatened with extinction
in Lake Manapao Sanctuary of Buhi, Camarines Sur, the only natural abode
where the small abounds. This was part of the results of a recent
study completed in September 1996 by researchers of Bicol University College
of Fisheries, Tabaco, Albay on the status of the Manapao Sinarapan stock
.
The study revealed that
Sinarapan in Manapao is subjected to a very high total mortality equivalent
to more than 99% per year. This mortality is due to the significant
predation by Nile Tilapia coming from the net cages installed in the sanctuary.
The net cages were repor- tedly set-up in May 1996 by people known to the
sanctuary's caretaker.
While Sinarapan and the
Tilapias have coexisted in the lake for many years, this was under a condition
of ecological balance among the species residing.
With Tilapia and their subsequent recruits which are produced by those
stocked in the cages, the equilibrium condition has been altered in favor
of the predators. Studies by BFAR showed that Nile Tilapia prey upon Sinarapan.
After several hauls (monitoring done in May to August 1996) to sample Sinarapan
using a push-net, the species composition of the catch showed only 3% Sinarapan
and the 97% composed of irin-irin (Vaimosa dispar), tilapias and
assorted gobies. This composition had not been obtained during the
monitoring studies by BUCF in 1988 and 1994 when almost 99% of the catch
of all push-net hauls was Sinarapan. As early as August 1996, the
research team led by Prof. Victor S. Soliman warned the Local Government
of Buhi of its condition and emphasized its potential disastrous effects
to the famed goby's population if the net cages would not be removed.
In February 6, 1996, Prof. Soliman spoke to the town's municipal council
of this urgency to save the species from total loss.
It was in 1979 when Sinarapan
in Lakes Buhi and Bato near-totally disappeared due to over-
fishing by motorized Sarap
which also destroyed the breeding, feeding and refuge areas of the
goby. During Sinarapan's heyday in the 1940's to 1960's, no one seriously
thought of the ruinous turn of events the fishery would be in a couple
of decades later in 1987, the stock of Sinarapan in Lake Katugday, a 2.65-ha.
lakelet located a kilometer northeast of Manapao, was depleted of its fish
stocks, including Sinarapan, because of a chemical pesticide applied by
a villager who wanted an easy catch of the larger fishes. These are
clear lessons of mis-
management which should
have taught concerned entities to be pro-active, if only they are genuinely
concerned.
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