That Fish Kill In Manila Bay

Hundreds of dead fish started floating to the surface of Manila Bay near the Baseco compound in Manila Bay Thursday morning, September 17, after a night of heavy rains over Manila.

Because of the recent controversy over the dumping of crushed dolomite to look like white sand along Roxas Boulevard, it was suspected by some that the dolomite had somehow poisoned the waters. But the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) pointed out that the “white beach” project was several kilometers away from Baseco and its floating dead fish.

This is not the first time hundreds of dead fish have come floating to the surface of lakes, gulfs, and bays in the country. Last May, hundreds of tons of tilapia being grown in fish cages in Taal Lake, Batangas, floated dead to the surface due to the depletion of oxygen levels in the lake because of too many fish cages. Earlier fish kills in Taal Lake in 2008 and 2011 were linked to volcanic activity.