BFAR's release of 'mosquito fish' to fight dengue alarms group

A group has raised concern over the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources' (BFAR) dispersal of a so-called "mosquito fish" species to fight dengue in Dagupan, Pangasinan.

A Facebook page named Isdang Tabang: The Philippine Freshwater Fish Taxonomic Initiative claimed the government agency released a certain type of fish that could endanger other species in the water.

"Apparently, BFAR does not know what species it is distributing," the organization's post on Thursday said.

The group said BFAR instead released a species of "wild molly," or Poecilia spheno. "The fish being distributed nowadays by BFAR is not the same mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis (Baird and Girard 1853) that was introduced in 1913 by Dr. Alvin Seale from Honolulu, Hawaii."

Citing Labatos and Briones (2014), the group said this fish "has no record of introduction to the Philippines and that their introduction pathway could possibly be through aquarium fish trade."

Moreover, the species was said to be "a livebearer, contrary to the pronouncement of BFAR that it lays eggs"; and also "an omnivore, which feeds on worms, crustaceans, insects and detritus."

"Hence, (it) could endanger the very existence of other native aquatic fauna," the group warned.

In a separate post, the group called BFAR out for what they said is a "blatant misrepresentation of the true nature of this invasive alien species."

The DOH recently declared a national dengue epidemic after dengue cases in the country reached 146,062  from January 1 to July 20, 2019, which is 98 percent higher than the record in the same period last year.

Last month, it was reported that "mosquito fish" were being used by the BFAR as a biological control agent against mosquito larvae in Dagupan.

According to Isdang Tabang: The Philippine Freshwater Fish Taxonomic Initiative, "The claim that this 'mosquito fish' is effective in controlling mosquito larvae is unfounded as what BFAR is citing are literature referring to the 'old mosquito fish'."

For its part, BFAR clarified that the distribution of the fish was "surgical", saying it was only for stagnant waters near schools and residential areas.

In its statement sent to GMA NewsOnline, the agency's National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center also argued out that "no Filipino Fisheries scientist came forward to report the adverse effect of the fish to any Philippine endemic or indigenous fish species" since it was introduced in the country since the 1900s.

Moreover, BFAR confirmed the photo posted by Dr. Westly Rosario was indeed a Molly, which belongs to family Poeciliidae, and pointed out that Gambusia which, they said, was "widely nicknamed as mosquito fish," belongs to the same family.

"BFAR is fully aware as we conduct lecture and disseminate reading materials that both Gambusia and Mollies belong to the same family, hence, are livebearers and can both feed on mosquito larvae," their statement read.

It added that they use "mosquito fish" as "a generic term for these fishes which can consume mosquito larvae to re-educate the people that the best biological control for mosquitoes are fish."

The BFAR also said it was the "cheapest and easiest way to help curtail the increasing number of mosquito related illness victims in this time of national epidemic." —Margaret Claire Layug/KBK/ LDF, GMA News