With temperature reaching as high as 39 degrees Celsius in Tuguegarao City in recent days, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for Region 2 has warned fish farmers in Cagayan Valley of an imminent “fish kill” in the midst of the summer season. According to the region’s BFAR office, their data indicate that “high fish mortality and fish kills usually occur during the summer months” of April and May, thus urging fish farmers to conduct “total harvest to prevent further losses.” Emerson Tattao, regional BFAR aquaculturist, said the “hot weather and low water level,” both in fishpond and fish cage areas, “speed up the decomposition process of organic matter and facilitate the release of harmful gases trapped in the pond or river bottom.”

Domingo, L. C. (2014, April 30). BFAR Cagayan Valley warns against fish kill this summer. The Manila Times, p. A6.