AN AMERICAN solar fisheries expert is set to come back in the Philippines next month to submit a detailed design to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Bfar) for the proposed aeration system which is seen to end fish kill in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol bared this on Sunday, February 19, in one of his social media posts.
"The recurring fish kill which destroys tilapia production in Lake Sebu in South Cotabato Province could be stopped with the use of solar technology," he said.
Last week, the municipality of Lake Sebu has been placed under a state of calamity due to a massive fish kill. It was reported that the massive fish kill started last January 27.
Lake Sebu's economy hinges on the productivity of its lake. A domestic tourist destination, it takes pride in the various tilapia dishes its food establishments offer. Thus, a massive fish kill is a disaster.
The plan for solar aeration was proposed by Rocky French, a Filipino-American fish farmer from Thermal City in the Coachella Desert in Southern California who visited Lake Sebu recently.
French said that the fish kill in the lakes of South Cotabato, where farmers raise tilapia, is a result of very low level of dissolved oxygen (DO) because of fish overpopulation. This phenomenon is known locally as “kamahong.”
The recent fish kill, a recurring problem in Lake Sebu especially during rainy season, resulted in over P180-million in losses to Tilapia farmers in the area.
The prevailing farm gate price for tilapia in Lake Sebu is P90 per kilo.
French, according to the agriculture secretary, said the lack of DO also "affects the growth of the fish because instead of eating the feeds, the Tilapia would rather go on surface to breath oxygen."
Ending fish kill, French said, the immediate solution would be to reduce the fish population in the lakes and install aerators powered by solar panels which could be placed in floating facilities.
In installing solar-powered aerators, there could be two types, the paddle-wheel type and a number of air tubes which would be dropped to the bottom of the lakes to stir the sludge and produce air bubbles.
Bfar Director, Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona, who asked French to submit a design for the aeration system, said the agency could use the same design for other inland fish farms which also suffer from seasonal fish kills.
As a long term intervention, a massive reforestation to be undertaken in the surrounding mountains to prevent soil erosion which could destroy the lakes was also recommended.
Last year, the Municipal Government of Lake Sebu recorded at least eight fish kills that destroyed around P1.4-million worth of tilapia.
The major fish kill in the area was in 2014.
A cleanup drive following the fish kill was conducted to bring back the cleanliness and liveliness of the lake. The local government unit will also hold a dialogue with fish cage operators in the province to brief them on how to avoid a fish kill.