BFAR: Let nature take course on fish kill woes

Other than making sure they do not throw garbage into the river, fish-pen operators affected by the fish kill in Batangas and Pangasinan can do little else but let nature take its course. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Assistant Director Felipe Tabios Jr. siad this on Thursday even as he advised operators to meet among themselves and thresh out ways to protect the local environment. "We just have to wait. Huwag muna maglagay ng mga isda sa fishponds... they will compete for oxygen. [The observation period] can take three weeks to one month, pero araw-araw ite-test namin ang katubigan," Tabios said in an interview on dwIZ radio. But he said operators should also consider temporarily taking off the nets from the fish pens to clean the area and its surroundings. He also stressed they should make sure no one throws garbage into the water to avoid pollution in the fish environment. "Baka nagkasala tayo kay inang kalikasan at binabalikan tayo," he said. Fishpen operators in Pangasinan and Batangas had been affected due to fish kill in past days. Health authorities warned consumers against eating the "double-dead" fish from the affected areas, as they may be toxic and cause health problems. Tabios said the oxygen level in the water should be at least six parts per million before fish can be placed in the affected areas again. "We can try to develop fish more tolerant to lack of oxygen (but) in the meantime... nature dictates oxygen should not be below 6 ppm," he said. — LBG, GMA News