'Invaded' Millions Of Shrimps, Residents In North Pongoala Gorontalo Hamlet Consider This A Blessing

The phenomenon of millions of sea shrimp rising ashore occurred in Buladu Village, East Sumalata District, North Gorontalo. (ANTARA/Susanti Sako-screenshot)

GORONTALO - Millions of sea shrimp entered residential areas in Pongoala Hamlet, Buladu Village, North Gorontalo, Gorontalo Province. This had panicked local residents. "This condition has never happened, so residents panic," said Head of Buladu Village, East Sumalata District, Herlinda H. Laniyo in Gorontalo, Antara, Thursday, May 25. Village water officers were deployed to check the condition. "We feel this is a blessing, we need to check the origin of this shrimp. Because, during the shrimp season alone, there have never been millions of shrimp that keep coming ashore," he said. Water officers descended on Thursday morning at 06.00 WITA, checking the water sources in the village, precisely in the Buladu mountain area. There, said Herlinda, there is a source of mountain clean water flowing into the river. There are also three reservoirs built through the Pamsimas program. However, no shrimp was found for residents called hele yinulo or oil shrimp. After checking at the mouth of the river about three meters from the sea, it turned out that shrimp came from the estuary. "There is a bridge, below which there is a pipe that is no longer used, with a diameter of three meters. Inside the pipe, there is another pipe. The pipe was leaking, so the shrimp that was dragged by the waves entered from there to residential areas," said Herlinda. He assessed that the millions of shrimp that rose to land were a blessing for the villagers. Residents collect the shrimp, some have even made a profit, because this phenomenon has occurred since three days ago. Residents, said Herlinda, began collecting shrimp, some drying and selling for Rp. 20,000 per small can of milk. Some were sold wet for Rp. 10,000 per can. In fact, some managed to collect up to 10 kilograms. However, some residents chose to throw the shrimp back into the sea as fish bait.

Currently, he continued, the shrimp and fish season is indeed taking place. Usually when the moon is new, millions of shrimp appear in the sea, but this is the first time it has gone ashore. "This is a blessing for the residents. We are very grateful for it," said Herlinda.