By Cris Diaz
TAGOLO-AN, Misamis Oriental, (PNA) — Hundreds of fish floated on the shorelines of Tagolo-an due to “poisoning” from the effluents of damaged copra dumped near the coastline there, local officials said.
Governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano of Misamis Oriental on Sunday ordered a probe of the “fish kill” where fish of varied species were seen floating shortly before midnight last Wednesday.
Officials from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) rushed to the area Wednesday night to investigate the cause of the “poisoning.”
Residents in Baluarte,Tagolo-an alleged that the poisoning could have been triggered by the poisonous effluents of damaged copra reportedly dumped in the area by a copra oil processing mill from Iligan City.
On Thursday morning, the coastlines in Baluarte turned reddish as thousands of fish, including crustaceans, floated off the seashore estimated to be weighing more than a hundred kilos.
Emano said he has ordered an investigation to avoid a repeat of the incident and find out what triggered the fish kill.
He said that the provincial government would not hesitate to institute measures to punish those responsible for the fish kill that has affected the livelihood of fishermen in the area.
“We will wait for the result of the investigation now being undertaken by BFAR, the environment officials, and local government units before we could institute legislative measures,” Emano stressed.