November 4, 2010

Mass tilapia deaths in Philippines' Lake Buhi

An estimated 100 tonnes of tilapia were found dead and floating on Lake Buhi in Camarines Sur, Philippines, a phenomenon known as a "fish kill".

The dead fish started floating last Friday (Oct 29), locals said. They said that they did not expect that it would affect many fishpens in the area.

A survey conducted by the Lake Buhi Development Office (LBDO) showed that the fish kill has affected 7 lakeside villages. They were identified as Barangays Salvacion, Tambo, Ibayugan, Iraya, Ipil, StaCruz, and Cabatuan.

The LBDO said that 80% of fish pens in the area were affected, with the price of tilapia in the area rising to PHP30-PHP50 (US$0.70-US$1.15) a kilogramme because of the incident.

It said that the fish kill may have been caused by sulfur being ejected into the lake by Mount Malinao and Mount Asog - which is also known as Mount Iriga.

Buhi Mayor Rey Lacoste said that strong winds, as well as the abundance of water hyacinths in the lake, could also have contributed to the fish kill.