Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Fish farms countrywide are facing massive reductions in stocks as fish deaths see a rapid increase amid soaring summer temperatures, according to the Burma Fisheries Federation.
Widespread and massive fish deaths were reported in 217,000 fish-farming ponds in Rangoon, Irrawaddy, Tharyarwaddy in Pegu divisions and Sagaing and Mandalay divisions in upper Burma, a Burma Fisheries Federation fisheries official who requested anonymity said.
“Heat lowers the oxygen content of the fish-farm pond water and that, combined with low atmospheric pressure and rising temperatures, has led to high daily death rates in the ponds,” the fisheries official said.
The Meteorology and Hydrology Department issued a high-temperature warning for Mandalay city in Mandalay Division, Pathein in Irrawaddy Division, Pyi in Pegu Division and Magwe, and predicted rare readings of 109.4 Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) for those areas.
The exact number of fish deaths was as yet unknown but about a total of 100,000 fish died in one day in 30 fish ponds in Twante Township in March, the Rangoon-based Myanmar Times weekly journal reported, citing the government fishery department.
“Cultured fishes can mate, lay eggs and breed only when the weather is fine and the temperature is low,” the fisheries federation official said. “Rising temperature also raises the ammonia content in pond water … which can … deter breeding and create breathing difficulties for the fish.”
Carp, fresh water nga mote, nga thine, Hamilton’s carp, nga tan and Thai nga khone ma gyi were reared in those ponds for export to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and European countries, the fishery department said.
According to a fisheries federation on March 31, Burma earned US$103.5 million from fish product exports in the 2009-10 fiscal year, a massive drop compared to the US$561.023 million made in 2007-08.
A fish farming businessman in Twante Township, Rangoon Division said that his fish reared for export had been dying daily since early this month, before they reached export size. “I lost 3,400 to 4,500 daily at the beginning of this month. I’m losing up to 10,000 daily now. I fed them well to reach their export size but I have incurred great losses because of their untimely deaths,” he told Mizzima.
Despite low supply also hitting the ocean fish market, there had been no drastic changes in fish prices, a trader at Rangoon’s Sanpya Fish Exchange told Mizzima. But he expected fish prices to rise next month.
“The prices have not yet changed. In coming months, the fishermen dare not go out to sea in the early monsoon season and poor transport [of product] by both car and boat during the season will lead to low supplies … next month,” the trader said.
The current market prices for fish are: freshwater nga jan (large), 7,000 Kyats per viss (about 1.6 kilograms); seawater hilsa (large), 11,000 Kyats per viss; and, 3,500 Kyats for small hilsa.
