GENERAL SANTOS CITY—About PHP20 million worth of tilapia were destroyed in a fish kill in parts of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, an official said Monday.
Christopher Ofong, Lake Sebu municipal information officer, said the fish kill had so far affected 1,000 fish cages in the waters off Bacdulong, T’kunel and Poblacion.
He said some 250 fishermen and 45 fish cage operators from eight sitios of the three villages were directly affected based on the initial assessment conducted by the Municipal Agriculture Office.
Fish cage operators were forced to conduct emergency harvests over the weekend to avoid further losses, he said.
Ofong said they had not yet determined the true value of the fish kill but said it could have been around PHP20 million based on the fish’ average farm-gate price of PHP100 per kilo.
“That is just the partial damage report. The assessment is still ongoing in the affected areas,” Ofong told PNA in a phone interview.
On Monday morning, he said, Lake Sebu Mayor Floro Gandam called an emergency meeting to discuss the impact of the fish kill, which was initially reported on Friday and set the necessary interventions.
The meeting was joined by municipal officials and representatives from the South Cotabato Provincial Environment Management Office and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.
Ofong said the fish kill was triggered by the occurrence of the “kemohung” or “kamahong,” a phenomenon caused by the sudden rise in the water’s temperature.
“Kemohung,” which usually occurs during the rainy season, triggers the increase in sulfuric acid that eventually lowers the dissolved oxygen in the lakes’ waters.
In 2017 a series of major fish kills blamed on such phenomenon hit portions of the 254-hectare mountain lake, destroying some 1.4 million kilos of tilapia valued at around PHP126 million.
Ofong said the municipal government was consolidating available resources to help the affected fish cage operators and fishermen.
