THE recent sighting of a school of fish near the South Road Properties (SRP) waters on Thursday evening, Jan. 16, 2025, has been attributed to the clean up efforts made by the Cebu City Government.
A video circulated on social media last Thursday, showing a massive school of fish - whose type is still being identified by authorities - spotted at the Plaza sa Katawhan in SRP around 10 p.m.
Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, in a press conference on Friday, Jan. 17, said the clean up drives initiated by the Cebu City Bantay Dagat program and Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Ccenro) have paid off.
Garcia said the occurrence was a positive sign, considering Cebu City’s waters have long been considered polluted.
“This is even a better development; it just shows our seriousness in really cleaning our sea and our ocean so that we may become a more sustainable, more eco-friendly city, especially when we take care of our shores and coastal areas in the City of Cebu,” said Garcia.
He also described the school of fish rush as an “amazing” phenomenon.
Garcia recalled that sometime in April 2024, a group of mangsi, or a golden-stripe sardinella, were sighted at the Cebu City reef.
In a separate interview on Saturday, Jan. 18, Bantay Dagat Program director Ed Karlon Rama said the sightings of the school of fish in Cebu City was uncommon.
Rama added there were reports of sardine rush in the municipalities of Ginatilan, Argao, and Moalboal, wherein the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 7 imposed a three-month “closed season” for fishing in the Visayan Sea.
Garcia said it would not be a surprise if it happened in areas like in the Municipality of Bantayan, where the waters are clear.
“I understand if this happens in more distant areas like Bantayan, because their waters are still clear and not yet polluted. They don’t have large ships like we do. But for it to happen here, it’s amazing,” Garcia said.
Rama also said he is still drafting the report about the phenomenon, which will be submitted to the mayor soon.
Rama also said there is no closed season in Cebu City, instead, there is a patch reef that the Bantay Dagat is maintaining.
Rama said they are aiming to transform Cebu City’s first marine protected area.
He explained that they are still doing the groundworks, including underwater cleanups, reef checks, and other studies. / JPS