10 Tons Of Mass Dead Fish In Maninjau Lake

Fish carcasses float on Lake Maninjau. (Antarasumbar/Yusrizal)

JAKARTA - About 10 tons of tilapia and Majalaya fish in Maninjau Lake, Tanjungraya District, Agam Regency, West Sumatra died en masse due to strong winds that hit the area a few days ago.

Acting Head of the Department of Fisheries and Agam Food Security, Edi Netrial, said that 10 tons of fish are tilapia, seven tons belonging to dozens of farmers and three tons of Majalaya species belonging to several people.

"The 10 tonnes of fish came from dozens of floating net cages owned by farmers in Galapuang and Tanjungsani. This is based on data from fisheries instructors and this number may increase", said Edi in Lubukbasung, as reported by Antara, Tuesday, April 27.

He said that the ready-to-harvest fish had died since Friday, April 23, after strong winds hit the area as a result, there was an upwelling or reversal of the water mass, so that oxygen levels in the lake bottom decreased.

After that, he added, the fish experienced dizziness, came out to the surface of the water, and died a few hours after that.

"Currently, the carcasses of fish are floating on the surface of the lake. Farmers have suffered losses of around IDR 202 million because the price of Majalaya fish is IDR 23 thousand per kilogram and tilapia fish is IDR 19 thousand per kilogram", he said.

He admitted, the death of the fish was the third time with a total of 30 tonnes during January to April 27, 2021.

Previously, five tons of fish belonging to farmers in Galapuang suddenly died on Monday, April 5. In January and February 2021, 15 tons of fish died in Bayua and Koto Malintang.

"Fish mortality occurs almost every year at the beginning, middle and end of the year", he said