Five tons of tilapia with an estimated worth of P4.5 million were found dead and floating in Lake Sebu in South Cotabato since Friday.
According to local authorities, more than 300 fish cage operators were affected by the fish kill. The number is expected to rise when an assessment is conducted on Tuesday, reported ABS CBN news.
Jonathan Tomayao, one of the affected operators, lost P225,000 worth of tilapia fingerlings. He believes non-stop rains last week triggered the fish kill.
Some operators were forced to harvest and sell their tilapia to buyers.
A fishpond operator, Nilda Prado, shared: “We harvested fish the size of two fingers in hope of having them sold in the market. Most were not bought.”
The town’s agriculturist, Zaldy Artacho, explained that lack of oxygen caused the fish kill.
