TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsAuthorities probe mass fish die-off, murky water in Lake Toba
Berman Sitanggang, a resident of Pangururan district on Samosir Island, said hundreds of tonnes of tilapia in floating fish farms on Lake Toba have died over the past few weeks, with the number continuing to rise.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Serene moment: A fisherman floats by on Lake Toba in North Sumatra. (Shutterstock/DH Saragih)
A
uthorities in North Sumatra have launched an investigation into the sudden murkiness of Lake Toba, which has been linked to a mass fish die-off in the popular crater lake over the past two weeks.
Berman Sitanggang, a resident of Pangururan district on Samosir Island, said hundreds of tonnes of tilapia in floating fish farms on Lake Toba have died over the past few weeks, with the number continuing to rise.
"The fish started dying after the lake water turned murky. Lake Toba has become murky several times before, but never this bad," he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
He noted that many residents in Pangururan district and other communities along the shores of Lake Toba rely on fish farming for their livelihoods. The recent mass die-off of fish, he said, has sparked widespread concern among locals.
Read also: Indonesia on brink of losing Lake Toba’s Global Geopark status
Adding to the alarm, most residents living around the lake still rely on its water for daily use, including drinking, bathing and laundry, raising fears about possible health risks.
“We still don’t know what’s causing the sudden murkiness in Lake Toba,” Berman said. “We’re hoping the government can quickly identify the cause and take action, so no more fish die, and we can be sure the water is still safe for human use.”
