Feature: Comval's Mahayahay Cave losing its blind-fish

By Jeanevive D. Abangan

Saturday 26th of May 2012

MAWAB, Compostela Valley Province, May 26 (PIA) -- Ever heard of or seen a blind fish? Chances are you’ll not see one ever again in Mahayahay cave in the village of Tuboran, unless you are fortunate.

The cave is less than a ten-minute walk from the military camp of the 72nd Infantry Battalion at Camp Manuel T. Yan, Sr., headquarters of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, 12 kilometres from Tagum City in Davao del Norte.

Efren Tagorda, representative from the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Protected Area Wildlife Division, confirmed the “very slim” chance inside Mahayahay cave of seeing this species of the fish family Amblyopsidae, commonly referred to as cavefish and blindfish, among others.

“Back in the 90’s blind fish were common in the slow-flowing cave stream of Mahayahay, but none has been seen in the last few years,” Tagorda said before the start of the press conference morning of May 18 of the second province-wide cave forum dubbed Tapok Tunob 2 at Tuboran National High School in Mawab on May 17-18.

The PAWD representative believed the unchecked and unregulated caving activities in the past have contributed to the disappearance of the blindfish.

A Wikipedia entry on the internet describes the blind fish as one of 80 known varieties of cave fish.

It said one species, the amblyopsis rosas, lives in flowing cave streams that have a relatively large source of nutrients like guano which is one of the features of Mahayahay cave.

Members of this species have adapted to the cave’s dark environment including the lack of functional eyes and, in some species, the absence of pigmentation.

The entry further said water quality in caves that contain cavefish is “usually high”.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed four cavefish species on the Red List of threatened species.

At the caving forum press conference attended by journalists and spelunkers from Davao City, Tagum City, and Compostela Valley, Taborda said he was happy that many have become aware about the importance of preserving caves.

He said cave denizens like bats maintain a natural symbiotic relationship with fruit-bearing trees like durian.

“If the fruit bats disappear,” he said, “fruit trees will not be able to reproduce which means … no more durian.”

Taborda warned that under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act or R.A. No. 9147, a violator will face a six month to six years imprisonment or a fine of PhP500 to PhP5,000. (Tourism/PGO-IDS/JPA)