Sulfur upwelling in Taal Lake has caused fish kill in four barangays in Talisay, Batangas late last week, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Various fish species were found “gasping for air†along the shoreline on the night of Jan. 16. The following day, a blue-green discoloration of water was observed in the barangays of Aya, Quiling, Tumaway, and Sampaloc. BFAR has been monitoring the phenomenon since 2000. Sulfur upwelling in Taal Lake usually occurs from November to February when the northeast wind disturbs the sediments in the lake, resulting in the upwelling of hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous gas.

Valencia, C., & Ozaeta, A. (2014, January 22). Sulfur upwelling triggers fish kill in Taal Lake. The Philippine Star, p. A-25.