Death of fish in a dam in RN was not caused by the closing of the São Francisco floodgates – 03/28/2023 – Environment

Video of a shoal dammed up in an area with little water was misleadingly used on social media to claim that floodgates for the transposition of the São Francisco River are being closed at the behest of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), causing the death of fish.

The images of the animals, as verified by the Comprova Project, are true and were recorded at the Oiticica dam, in Jucurutu, in Rio Grande do Norte, on March 17, but have no connection with the closing of the floodgates, as explained to Semarh- RN (Secretary of the Environment and Water Resources of Rio Grande do Norte). “We clarify that the dam gates were not closed,” he said. According to the agency, with the increase in the volume of rain in the region, there was an overflow and a section of the dam service road broke, diverting the water to another course and causing the area previously supplied (the one that appears in the video) was emptied.

Still according to the secretariat, joint actions were carried out between Civil Defense, City Council, Jucurutu City Hall and fishermen. “The fish that died due to lack of oxygen were cleaned and those that were alive were caught by the fishermen’s colony.”

According to the MIDR (Ministry of Integration and Regional Development), the arrival of water from the Integration Project from the São Francisco River to Rio Grande do Norte occurred on February 8, 2022 and, in that year, approximately 90 million cubic meters of water to the state to test the system. The agency explains that the dam work is carried out by the government of Rio Grande do Norte and 93.7% is completed.

One of the tweets verified by the report uses the video and, in the caption, asks if the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, will demonstrate in the face of the fish mortality. Contacted by Comprova, the ministry said it was not responsible for the dam and that the content was “false”.

Misleading, for Comprova, is all content removed from the original context and used in another so that its meaning undergoes changes; that uses inaccurate data or that induces an interpretation different from the author’s intention; content that is confusing, with or without the deliberate intent to cause harm.

Reach

Comprova investigates suspicious content with greater reach on social networks. On Twitter, one of the posts was viewed 288,800 times and shared 5,800 times by March 27. On Kwai, there were 22,700 shares and 76,400 likes by the same date.

What the person responsible for the publication says

The report tried to contact profiles that published the misleading post on Kwai and Twitter, but there was no response until the publication of this text.

How do we check

The first step was to search on Google for the keywords “dam”, “Oiticica” and “fish” to find the complete original video. The report contacted the YouTube channel that published the recording, but the person in charge was unable to inform who recorded the images, only that he received them from a follower. Unable to speak with the author of the video, Comprova spoke with the press office of the government of Rio Grande do Norte and Semarh-RN, since, in the video, the man says it is about the Oiticica dam. To find out more details about the transposition and the dam, he contacted the Dnocs (National Department of Works Against Droughts) and the MIDR.

What can we learn from this check

Misinformers use real videos to give the impression of credibility. As previously reported, the video of the dammed fish is true, but care must be taken not to believe any content that circulates on social networks. We should always be suspicious and reflect on whether publications make sense. In this case, it was enough to ask: “If the floodgates had really been closed, wouldn’t there have been reports in the press about the matter?”, “Wouldn’t there have been reports about shortages in Rio Grande do Norte?”, “Why would the federal government be closing the floodgates that way?” and “Would this mortality not constitute an environmental crime if, in fact, the government was closing the floodgates?”.

In addition to asking basic questions about what the dubious content alleges, always look for information on professional vehicle websites. Search Google for keywords and phrases related to the publication, such as “transposition”, “fish kill” and “closing of floodgates”.

why do we investigate

Comprova monitors suspicious content published on social networks and messaging apps about public policies and elections at the federal level and opens investigations for those publications that have achieved greater reach and engagement. You can also suggest checks via WhatsApp +55 11 97045-4984. Suggestions and questions related to questionable content can also be sent to Sheet via WhatsApp 11 99486-0293.

Other checks on the topic

The same content checked here was checked by Boatos.org and Aos Fatos. And, just this month, Comprova has already investigated other content that falsely claims that Lula turned off the transposition pumps. The federal government was also the focus of other checks on the project, such as a post that lies when it says that the Navy penalized the president for authorizing the entry of Iranian ships in Brazil.

The investigation of this content was carried out by Folha and Correio Braziliense and published on March 28 by Projeto Comprova, a coalition that brings together 41 vehicles to check viral content. It was verified by Poder360, O Popular, A Gazeta, Plural Curitiba, Estadão and Grupo Sinos.