Due to high temperature: Fishkill at SRP

CEBU, Philippines — High water temperature is the main reason why fish at Pond A at the South Road Properties (SRP) have died last Friday.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-7 Director Alfeo Piloton said temperature at the pond reached 36 degrees Celsius, which is way beyond what the fish can tolerate. He said water should not be more than 30 degrees Celsius for fish to survive.

Cebu has been experiencing extreme heat and weather experts say it will continue to do so, up to 33 degrees Celsius, in the week ahead.

But Piloton also emphasized that Pond A, strictly speaking, is not a fish pond and is not suitable for aquaculture due to its murky water, high ammonia content, and absence of proper waste management.

"Polluted ang tubig kay part na sa Mactan Channel ug bisan unsa na lang ang mga chemicals gipang-dump nganha (The water there is polluted because it’s connected to the Mactan Channel and different kinds of chemicals are being dumped there)," Piloton said.

He said there is a part of Pond A that allows fish like bangus and tilapia to enter when they are small but if they stay there and grow big, it becomes difficult for them to get out.

BFAR-7 through its Cebu Provincial Fishery Office has advised the public from collecting or eating the dead fish they will find at Pond A.

"Ang mga tawo, manguha man gyud na… dili man gyud kapugngan… among gikabalak-an, basig ilang kan-on katong nangamatay na, nanglutaw na, dili gyud pwede… bisan kanang buhi pa diha, wa ta kahibawo unsay contamination diha (It’s difficult to prevent the people from getting fish there. We’re worried that they will also eat the fish… that can’t be… even those that are still alive. We don’t know yet what has contaminated them),” Piloton said.

Cebu Provincial Fishery Officer Edgardo Delfin echoed Piloton.

"The fishes are not recommended and fit for human consumption yet while we are still awaiting the laboratory results," he said.

An estimated 600 to 700 kilos of fish were seen floating at Pond A, according to Ariel Yburan, the Executive Director Bantay Dagat in Cebu City.

Piloton said that based on tests, the bacteria level in the pond is normal, which makes them believe that the fish died from high water temperature and not from high presence of bacteria.

Yburan said the fish kill started last October 3 and they saw floating fish like bangus, tilapia, "pansat" and "halwan".

"Mga adjacent nga mga balay, nanulod na to the extent giguba nila ang gate sa Pond A niya government property baya na niya akong gi-explain nila nga ayaw mo pag-trespass kay file-an mo’g kaso niya nangguba pa gyud mo. Ikaduha, kanang isda inyong gikuha, makadaot na ninyo labi na katong bloated na bitaw niya baho na gud (Those living near the area went to the pond and even destroyed the gate at Pond A but that’s government property so I told them that they can be sued. Secondly, I told them eating the fish, especially those that have bloated and already smelling foul, will be bad for them),” Yburan further said. (FREEMAN)