The Darling River in New South Wales, Australia has been struck by a devastating disaster for the second time in four years.
This time, the estimated number of dead fish is as high as one million.
This mass fish kill is said to be “on par” with 2019’s algae bloom, an event that already caused thousands of deaths.
Cameron Lay, director of Freshwater Environments for DPI Fisheries described this occurrence as “very distressing” and locals agree.
Resident Graeme McCrabb said the scale was “unfathomable” while nature photographer Geoff Looney observed countless dead fish floating down the river.
A fresh maior fish kill at Menindee Weir pool near Broken Hill. Locals say one million dead. @2GB873 @9NewsSyd pic.twitter.com/YCkA78NbgL
— Chris O'Keefe (@cokeefe9) March 17, 2023
Officials have blamed the weather for this incident and no doubt many are concerned about what this means for the local wildlife – not just now but in upcoming years too.
“This event is ongoing as a heat wave across western NSW continues to put further stress on a system that has experienced extreme conditions from wide-scale flooding,” according to a representative for the Australian Department of Primary Industries, the Post reported.
“These fish deaths are related to low oxygen levels in the water (hypoxia) as flood waters recede,” the representative said.
“The current hot weather in the region is also exacerbating hypoxia, as warmer water holds less oxygen than cold water, and fish have higher oxygen needs at warmer temperatures,” the representative said.
With the continuation of such events there could be a significant impact on both the environment and economy.
Menindee Lakes, a gorgeous oasis in the desert an hour from Broken Hill on the border of South Australia. Second massive fish kill in….five years ? Century old native cod live in these streams https://t.co/DiyhjF7w8K
— Chekhov's Gato (@chekhovdispatch) March 17, 2023
Clearly something needs to be done in order to prevent future mass fish kills from occurring again.
It is important to identify what factors may have contributed to this disaster so that we can take steps towards mitigating these threats and preventing similar incidents from happening again in future.
