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Philippines fish kill: Over 20,000kg of tilapia die in Laguna de Bay
Recent monsoon-fed floods triggered algal growth depleting water oxygen levels in the lake; authorities warned of a continued risk of algal blooms and possible fish kills
- PUBLISHED: Thu 3 Sept 2026, 4:20 PM UPDATED: Thu 3 Sept 2026, 4:26 PM
Another massive fish kill hit the biggest lake in the Philippines this week, leading residents dependent on the waterway to wonder at the event’s “unusual speed and breadth.”
The group Pamalakaya-Pilipinas reported that more than 20,000 kilograms of tilapia and bighead carp have died so far at Laguna de Bay, which borders the capital region of Metro Manila.
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Pamalakaya vice chairperson Ronnel Arambulo said initial losses were estimated at P700,000 (Dh42,000), affecting mostly small-time fish cage operators in the municipality of Jala-jala in Rizal Province.
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Arambulo said fishers initially noticed that the lake’s color turned “rusty” prior to the fish beginning to float. “The affected fishers could not point to any other possible cause except the change in the color of the lake’s water they observed,” he said.
The fishersfolk’s leader pointed out the incident was the second such occurrence, recalling that a similar fish kill occurred in another part of the lake this year. “Last July, the same incident happened in Binangonan town following the release of wastewater by a water distributing company,” he said.
Where is Laguna de Bay?
A freshwater lake, Laguna de Bay covers an area of 949 square kilometers. Although shallow, it is a waterway that has immense importance to Philippine geography, trade, food security and livelihood, and even history.
Several rivers drain into the lake, which feeds the Pasig River, upon whose delta metropolitan Manila was built. In the country’s pre-colonial days, it was part of an inland kingdom whose residents moved about using the lake as their superhighway. Chinese traders reached far inland on boats that navigated the waterway and its tributaries.
Some of the oldest Catholic missions in the country also centered around the lake.
In recent years, the lake’s waters have been used to supplement Metro Manila’s growing needs with the establishment of filtration plants.
But the lake is under pressure from more than a century of industrial and domestic affluence as well as environmental abuse and neglect by authorities.
What is the lake’s current problem?
The latest fishkill came shortly after the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) warned of a continued risk of algal blooms and possible fish kills in the lake. On Augusst 25, the agency said recent monsoon-fed deluges had triggered algal growth that depletes water oxygen levels when they die.
The LLDA asked residents and local officials to report unusual water discoloration, heavy foaming, and foul odours that indicate contamination.
Pamalakaya called on the LLDA to investigate the latest incident and determine whether any companies illegally discharged wastewater into the lake. “Some companies must have discharged wastewater into the lake that caused the fish kill,” the group said.
But there may be another issue that must be looked into to learn why fish kills are becoming a regular incident on Laguna de Bay: infrastructure and reclamation projects along the lake’s edges.
Senator Panfilo Lacson is currently in a war of words with a fellow legislator over controversial activities in the Taguig City part of the waterway. Lacson said projects under the auspices of a political dynasty in Taguig City have gravely affected the lake. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has denied the accusations.
