BFAR logs low oxygen, water quality test after Lake Buhi fish kill
- 23 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Connie Calipay
LEGAZPI CITY --- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) - Bicol has recorded low dissolved oxygen levels in the surface and middle portions of Lake Buhi in Camarines Sur after a fish kill occurred in these waters.
The BFAR-Bicol Fisheries Protection and Sustainable Services Division (FPSSD) Fisheries Integrated Laboratory Section conducted a water quality assessment and validation on Aug. 10, two days after the fish kill was first reported in Ipil and Sta. Cruz.
BFAR-Bicol spokesperson Rowena Briones said the assessment covered eight areas of the lake – Sta. Elena, the center of the lake, Iraya, Tambo, Salvacion, the NIA area, Sta. Cruz, and Ipil, affecting 14 cage operators.
“The results of the sampling on Aug. 10 showed signs that there may have been water mixing in the lake,” Briones said.
She added that dissolved oxygen levels also declined in the lake’s surface and middle portions, where the fish cages are located.
“When oxygen is low, tilapia may have difficulty breathing, which can cause stress to the fish,” she said.
Briones said strong winds and rainfall in recent weeks may have contributed to the mixing of surface and bottom water in the lake.
The possible mixing of water could bring low-oxygen water and decomposing materials from the bottom toward areas near the fish cages, according to the assessment.
Briones added that the current findings are not enough to establish it as the direct cause, noting that further monitoring is needed.
“The results of the current sampling are not yet sufficient to prove that water mixing was the direct cause of the fish kill,” she said.
BFAR recommended the immediate removal and burial of dead fish to prevent the water quality from deteriorating any further.
Fish cage operators were also advised to temporarily refrain from feeding their fish and start emergency harvesting to save stocks that have not yet been affected.
Continuous monitoring of dissolved oxygen and water temperature at different depths, particularly around the five-meter depth where the fish cages extend, is being conducted by the bureau.
The agency identified Sta. Cruz, Ipil, and Salvacion as areas that require close monitoring due to the reported fish kill.
She said that BFAR is also monitoring the possible movement of decomposing materials from the bottom of the lake toward areas near the fish cages.
“No data yet on the damage, per Lake Development Office,” she said.
BFAR also advised the public to ensure that tilapia intended for consumption are fresh and clean.
“We have also deployed personnel from the Fisheries Protection and Law Enforcement Group in the area to ensure that carcasses damaged from the fish kill are not sold or brought to markets,” she added. (PNA)
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