Fishes, shrimps, crabs, eels adrift along Pampanga River

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Tons of fish, shrimps, crabs and eels were discovered floating along the stretch of the Pampanga River in the towns of Apalit, Macabebe and Masantol early Wednesday morning.

Gov. Lilia Pineda has requested the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to conduct tests to find out what caused the incident or confirm whether the incident is a “fish kill” episode.

This is the second time that a similar occurrence has been noted in these areas since July 2015.

“The river took the color of beer,” said former Masantol Vice Mayor Marcelo Lacap Jr., referring to the brown color spreading in a portion of the river from his village in Barangay SagradaFamilia at around 5 a.m.

Pampanga River, spanning 260 kilometers, drains 30 river systems in Central Luzon towards Manila Bay.

Lacap said he suspects that the alleged fish kill was caused by discharges from an alcohol fermentation plant in another town.

“The dead fish did not come from the Bataan side of the Manila Bay. These floated from upstream,” Lacap said.

/kga