The provincial government of Capiz has tapped the help of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) in ascertaining the cause of the mass mortality phenomenon that hit local prawn farms since last quarter of 2001 and caused production losses amounting to some P100 million. Upon the request of Gov. Vicente Bermejo, a team of experts from BFAR and SEAFDEC has arrived in the province and started conducting preliminary investigations into the mass mortality phenomenon which has also affected other crustaceans and fish species at the Tinagong Dagat area in Pontevedra, Capiz and in other coastal areas in the province. The team has conducted an exploratory data gathering, water sampling and related activities to get to the bottom of the problem. Initial investigations revealed that the mass mortality could be caused by a number of environmental factors. OIC-Provincial Agriculturist Sylvia De La Cruz stressed that recent investigation could not yet present a conclusive result as to the real cause of the phenomenon but they are crucial in the overall effort to diagnose, and eventually solve the problem.

Gov't agencies unite to put back Capiz prawn industry in good shape. (2002, January 22). Panay News, pp. 9, 10.