The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) clarified the 800 tons of dead fish found in Laguna Lake was caused by low level of dissolved oxygen and not because of a virus.
“Halimbawa po ay sa sobrang init, o mainit sa araw tapos sa hapon ay biglang bubuhos ‘yong malakas na ulan (For example, it gets too hot in the day and rain suddenly falls in the afternoon),” BFAR-4A Director Sammy Malvas explained.
The BFAR said the white spot syndrome virus and Tilapia lake virus that affected the fish production in the country was last reported in 2015 but the outbreak was immediately contained.
The bureau pointed out that the fish and shrimp currently sold in the market are safe for consumption and there is no threat of fish supply shortage.
“Hindi po dapat mag-cause ng alarm o takot sa mga mamimili. Wala po, wala po dapat silang ikabahala (This should not cause alarm to consumers as there is no reason to worry about),” Malvas assured.
Report from Cleizl Pardilla
