Millions of dead, decomposing fish have led to the blockage of a large part of a river in a remote area (southeast Australia) that has been exposed to a severe heat wave, according to local authorities, reports a local Arabic daily.
The New South Wales state government said “millions” of fish had died in the Darling River near the village of Menindi, the third large-scale fatality in the area since 2018.
Videos posted on social media showed boats amid dense groups of floating fish that obscured the view of the river’s surface.
Graeme McCrab, a resident of Menende, told AFP that the scene was “horrific”, pointing out that there are dead fish in sight, and expressed his fear of dire environmental consequences.
The local government indicated that the number of herring and carp in the river increased significantly after the recent floods, but the waters have returned and receded.
“The death of these fish is due to the low level of oxygen in the water (hypoxia), as a result of the receding flood waters,” she said in a statement, adding that the heat wave exacerbates this phenomenon. (AFP)