GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Fishery officials advised local consumers Monday to refrain from buying dried Tilapia from Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato following another fish kill in the area over the weekend triggered by “kamahong,” a phenomenon marked by a rise in the lake’s

water temperature.

Rex Vargas, provincial fishery coordinator, said they received reports that some 46.05 metric tons (MT) of Tilapia were killed as of last Friday.

He said another 2.5 MT were added to the reported damage Monday based on a report submitted by Lake Sebu municipal fishery coordinator Oding Kunan.

“Consumers are advised not to buy nor consume dried Tilapia from Lake Sebu because of the fish kill,” he said.

Lake Sebu town is a major producer of fresh and dried Tilapia in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region.

Tilapia products from the area are sold in wet markets in the region, which covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Cotabato, Koronadal, Tacurong, Cotabato and Kidapawan.

Vargas said a total of 48 fish cage owners were affected by the fish kill, which were so far valued at P3.8 million based on Tilapia’s market price of P80 per kilo.

“The accounted damage was only those inside the fish cages. Those outside were not yet accounted for,” he said.

Vargas said the provincial government, through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, is closely monitoring the fish kill, which was the second incident recorded in the area since July.

Kamahong, which usually occurs from September to February, was mainly traced to the rise of sulfuric acid in the lake’s waters.

“It occurs when cold rainwater, which is heavier than warm water, settles at the abyssal zone of the lake. This causes the water upturn or updwelling of warm water carrying silts, sediments, and gases such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, sulphur and methane gas produced by the decomposing organic matter such as fish feeds,” Vargas explained.

In July last year, the occurrence of “Kamahong” affected seven fish cages in Lake Sebu, destroying around 13 MT of Tilapia worth P1.04 million.

The provincial government earlier acquired some 500,000 fingerlings of Tilapia from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to replenish the damaged fish stocks.

Vargas said their office submitted another request to BFAR on Monday for the acquisition of an additional 2.5 million Tilapia fingerling worth P625,000 for distribution to affected fish cage owners. (PNA)

LAP/FFC/AVE/HST