Lake Sebu fish kill destroys ₱20M worth of tilapia

At least 1,000 fish cages containing about 200,000 kilograms of tilapia were ravaged by the latest fish kill in Lake Sebu town, South Cotabato province, last week, an official said on Monday. Lake Sebu Mayor Floro Gandam said at least 250 tilapia growers would get aid from the local government to recover their losses estimated at P20 million.But officials who joined an emergency meeting which Gandam convened on Monday did not think the damage was extensive enough to place the town under a state of calamity. Christopher Ofong, the municipal information officer, said the disaster risk reduction and management office decided against recommending the declaration of state of calamity because some criteria were not met, such as the condition that the fish kill should affect at least 20 percent of the population.