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Friday, May 20, 2005
Fishkill probe not yet over: group
INVESTIGATION on the real cause of the fish kill in Tugbok District, Davao City is not yet closed, Interface Development Interventions (Idis) Inc. executive director Lia Jasmin Esquillo said Thursday.
During a press conference, Esquillo said the answer to queries on why the fish kill happened and what had caused the series of fish kill at the ponds in Tugbok District should not just stop with the findings of the investigation conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the City Planning Development Office (CPDO).
"The fish kill case is not yet closed because we continue to be alarmed over the presence of pesticide. No one has answered why there was amount of pesticide found in the fish sample. Everyone was setting aside pesticide. It was a very small amount of pesticide found but it should not be there in the first place," Esquillo said.
Esquillo said there should be an investigation focused on the presence of pesticide in the fishes.
"Wala namang matinong sagot kung bakit may pestisidyo na na-detect sa fish sample," Esquillo said.
Earlier, a BFAR report quoted the Pesticide Analytical Laboratory (PAL) finding showing "presence of pesticide residue of profenofos in fish sample but none is detected in water sample."
The report said that Profenofos, with brand name Curacion, Selcron, is an insecticide and acaricides used to control insects and mites on vegetables (cabbage, potatoes, maize, soya beans etc.) by foliar application.
Its environment hazards like accidental spillage or leakage include toxicity to aquatic organisms and may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.
BFAR said the acute toxicity to fish is 0.19 ppm as derived from study results of trout.
But from the results by PAL tests, it was said that the level of Profenofos detected is 0.06 ppm, which is considered a very low concentration and not lethal to the catfish at the time of kill.
"Correlating with BFAR results, because of the water condition, low dissolved oxygen, slightly acidic water and presence of nitrite, the hito were already stressed and were easily affected by the pollutants and the secondary pathogenic bacteria leading to the kill," the BFAR report said.
Nancy Guisahan, a catfish grower who also encountered a massive fish kill in her pond, said she is not also convinced with the findings of the BFAR investigation although she does not blame the plantations located near their place.
Guisahan said a series of fish kill occurred in her pond since last year.
She discounted the idea that overstocking could have possibly caused the fish kill in her pond.
According to BFAR, the recommended stocking density in the management guide for freshwater catfish is 10 pieces per square meter.
Guisahan said she only loaded 1,200 fingerlings in her 10 x 10 meter pond.
"I had great loss because I was only able to harvest eight kilos instead of harvesting a minimum of 150 kilos," Guisahan said in the vernacular, adding that she is much worried because the money she used to maintain her pond was borrowed from Quedancor.
Guisahan also confuted rumors that the series of fish kills were brought about by pond owners who still have loans to pay with Quedancor.
"I will not let my sweat and tears drop in my fish pond and yet I will just kill my stocks. Not only those who have loans with Quedancor encountered fish kill)," Guisahan said. (AAG)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 20, 2005 issue)
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