The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Davao Region (BFAR-Davao) has cited three major explanations regarding the sardine beaching that occurred at Km. 13, Sasa, Davao City on the night of January 10, 2024. This is contrary to the anomalies and speculations circulating on social media that the phenomenon signals upcoming natural disasters, particularly earthquakes. Based on their investigation released earlier this week, the influx of a large volume of juvenile sardines, locally known as lupoy, can be possibly attributed to three scientific reasons: seasonality of the fish in Davao Gulf, vertical movement scientifically called upwelling that occurs in the open ocean and along coastlines, and abundant presence of plankton or phytoplankton, which are the major source of food of sardines as based on the conduct of fish and water sampling last January 11.

BFar-Davao explains sardine beaching. (2024, January 27-28). SunStar Davao, p. 4.