Hog farm, firms blamed for Mandaue fishkill

CEBU — A piggery and its nearby establishments have been allegedly indiscriminately dumping waste to rivers and seawaters, which caused a fishkill in Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City.

An estimated P15,000 worth of grouper, locally known as pugapo, were found floating dead on the surface of fish pens in Lobogon on Wednesday afternoon and yesterday morning.

But it was only yesterday that fish pen owners Jose Gesolga and Edito Baguio reported the incident to Barangay Captain Damaso Tumulak.

Tumulak said the two reported that an estimated 30 kilos of fish was found dead.

The Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR-7) has been notified of the incident.

Marivic Ricana, head of the Solid Toxic and Hazardous Waste division of EMB-DENR-7, said she took water samples from the area to determine what could have caused the fishkill.

She also said her office is also closely coordinating with officials of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the region.

The DENR is expected to release the results of its investigation next week. — Freeman News Service