Mysterious P10 M fish kill probed in Ifugao

By Dexter A. See

LAMUT, Ifugao – The Cordillera office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is conducting an investigation on the cause of a fish kill that resulted in over P10 million worth of losses.

An initial report from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office and the Provincial Agriculture Office showed over 40 hectares of fish ponds in the lowland towns of Lamut, Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista and Lagawe were affected.

The report showed the fish kill began last April and affected numerous fish ponds in the province.

The BFAR-Cordillera team took water samples from affected fish ponds for water analysis.
Among factors studied is the alleged serious negative effects of climate change that could have affected the oxygen supply of the fishes and the reported overcrowding in the fish ponds that resulted in the insufficiency of oxygen.

The fish kill is one of the worst incidents that affected the local fishing industry which is the major source of livelihood of thousands of residents living in the different towns.

Local residents in low-lying areas in the province rely on fishing as their major source of income while those in highly-elevated areas earn a living from rice and vegetable farming.

The concerned agencies reminded all sectors to observe cleanliness in the environment as a major means to spare their fish ponds and agricultural crops from being affected by any activity that would compromise their products.