Red tide hits Batangas resorts

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is testing water and dead fish samples after hundreds of coral reef fishes were found lining the seven-kilometer stretch of coastline in the Balayan Bay, a known premier eco-tourism spot in the country, over the weekend.

BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento told The STAR that an initial investigation revealed that a mild red tide caused the fish kill that was discovered by local folks late Friday initially along the two-kilometer stretch of coastline near Lian, Lemery, and Anilao in Batangas.

However, Sarmiento said the initial findings could not certain if the contamination originated from the waters of the bay, as the mild red tide could have been from other nearby bodies of water or areas.

"We are still pursuing a deeper examination on the water samples and samples of dead fishes," he noted. "It is possible that the affected area was actually from somewhere else, that the dead fishes were just brought in Balayan because of the strong wind or tide."

During an earlier monitoring, the BFAR, Philippine Coast Guard, Coral Cay, Bantay Dagat and World Wide Fund-Philippines (WWF) found that there was an abnormally high water temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius and a profusion of single-cell algae, which concentration appeared to be in Brgy. Locloc, Bauan.

Patches of red film on the water surface were also noted.

Since the Balayan Bay is a popular tourism destination, the public was also warned against swimming in the affected waters to avoid the possibility of skin irritations until the area is declared clear from contamination. — Katherine Adraneda, Arnell Ozaeta