600 kilos of dead fish collected at SRP’s Pond A after heat wave hits Cebu

Migratory birds congregate on the 8-hectare Pond A at the South Road Properties in Cebu City to feast on dead tilapia ang bangus (milk fish) that floated on the surface of the pond following a massive fish kill that resulted from days of intense heat experienced in Cebu. |CDNDigital Photo/ Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The heat spike experienced in Cebu in the last few days has caused massive fish kill at the Cebu City government-owned Pond A in South Road Properties (SRP) since Thursday,  October 3, 2019. 

Ariel Yburan, the head of the city’s Bantay Dagat, said the heat, which reached 35 degrees Celsius on September 30, 2019 and with the heat index registering at 41 degrees Celcius, has caused the brackish water in the 8-hectare Pond A to evaporate, causing the fish to die due to the lack of oxygen.

In the last two days, Bantay Dagat has recorded 600 kilograms of dead  tilapia and bangus (milk fish) collected from the pond by fishermen, who were taking advantage of the fish kill by harvesting and selling the dead fish.

However, only 200 kilograms have been recovered and immediately buried by Yburan’s team.

Yburan said the fish kill figure is expected to rise as the heat continues today. Despite the heavy downpour on Friday,    more tilapia were found floating on the pond’s surface early on Saturday.

Yburan said the persons who were collecting the dead fish may face charges of trespassing. They may also be apprehended by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for selling dead fish collected from the fish kill.

He urged them to stop collecting and selling the dead fish because these fish are not safe to eat. 

He also urged consumers to be careful in buying tilapia and bangus that are sold at suspiciously low prices. 

“Mailhan na ang patay na nga isda gikan sa fish kill kay moburot ang hasang ug ang unod,” said Yburan.

(We can identify if the fish died of fish kill because the gills and the meat will be bloated.)

Migratory birds congregate on the 8-hectare Pond A at the South Road Properties in Cebu City to feast on dead tilapia ang bangus that floated on the surface of the pond following a massive fish kill resulting from days of intense heat experience in Cebu. |CDNDigital Photo/ Delta Dyrecka Letigio

The city government has initiated fish farming on Pond A since 2008 to enable fisherfolk from the coastal area of Barangay Mambaling who were displaced by the 300-hectare SRP, which used to be called the South Reclamation Project, to have an alternative means of livelihood.

But because of the fish kill, the fishermen could be considered to be “trespassing” on Pond A should they continue to collect the dead fish.

CDN Digital visited Pond A on Saturday morning, October 5, 2019, and found a flock of migratory birds feasting on the carcass of the dead fish. 

Fishes float along the coast of the pond while a foul smell emanates from it. 

One of the city-employed guards of the pond  said the smell was stronger before some fishermen took away the dead fish. 

The guard, who declined to be named, said that tilapia and bangus began to belly up and floated on the surface of the pond in the morning of October 3.  The flock of migratory birds also stayed close to the pond. 

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Mayor Edgardo Labella said he will have the fish kill investigated, as aside from the heat wave, he had also received reports from BFAR that the nearby Inayawan landfill might have polluted the pond’s water.

The mayor said he would also consider covering the pond if the results of the investigation would prove that the area is already heavily polluted and could no longer sustain marine life.

“Ato lang tan-awon. Dili na gyud siguro na nato papangisdaan dirang dapita kay delikado. Basin ato nalang na patabunan. Ato lang gyod tan-awon,” said the mayor. 

(We will see. We will not let anyone fish there because it is not safe. Perhaps we will have it covered. Let us see.)/elb