THE Cebu City Bantay Dagat Commission confirmed that people who harvested the dead fish from Pond A at the South Road Properties (SRP) on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, sold these at low prices.

“Those who took the dead fish, most of them got 20 kilos each. When we went to the area, they were already there. We tried to stop them since the fish might harm their health,” said Bantay Dagat president Ariel Yburan.

He said it would be difficult to track down residents who sold and bought the fish, adding that they might even be charged with trespassing since the 10-hectare pond is owned by the Cebu City Government.

“They destroyed the gate, which was closed,” said Yburan.

The Bantay Dagat official advised the public against eating the fish as these were already dead. Some had started to bloat and produced an unpleasant smell, he said.

Mayor Edgardo Labella instructed the Cebu City Health and Bantay Dagat to investigate the real cause of the fish kill.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 7 took samples of the pond’s water and the dead fish last Friday, Oct. 4, for examination. Results will be known on Monday, Oct. 7.

Meanwhile, Yburan said they’ve collected around 600 kilos of dead bangus (milkfish) and tilapia at the Pond A since Thursday.

The pond is home to several fish species.

Yburan said they’ve already buried 200 kilos of fish.

He said the high heat in the past few days caused the water level to drop. This might have depleted the oxygen in the water, killing the fish, he said.

The water might have also been contaminated by the nearby landfill in Inayawan, he said, citing another possible cause of the fish kill.

Last Sept. 27, the weather bureau Pagasa Visayas bureau recorded a heat index of 41 degrees Celsius, which fell under the “extreme caution” category. (JJL)