DENR raises alert on mangrove infestation
ILOILO CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional office here is raising an alert after confirming an outbreak of an unknown pest infestation in the mangrove areas of seven coastal municipalities in the province of Capiz.
DENR RO6 officer in charge Dr. Alicia Lustica identified the coastal towns as President Roxas, Ivisan, Pilar, Sapian, Panay, Pontevedra and Roxas City.
Lustica also raises the alert in all coastal towns of the province of Aklan and northern Iloilo because the mangrove pest may spread to these areas.
A DENR assessment team observed that almost all of the Bungalon species (Avencennia marina) was infested by an insect larva of a certain species under the Order Lepidoptera. The larval stage is most harmful because they eat the succulent parts of the leaves causing it to dry and discolor, Lustica, chief of the Ecosystems and Research Development, said.
The team also warned the coastal communities to handpick these larva and pupas and bury them under the ground on dry land and not to use chemical pesticides to eradicate the pest since this may cause more harm not only to the trees but also to other marine life in the area.
By Lydia C. Pendon
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