Millions of dead fish block Australian river – 03/18/2023 – Environment
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Millions of dead fish block a stretch of the Darling River in a remote outback location in Australia, which is experiencing an intense heat wave.
Videos posted on social media show boats making their way through a sea of dead fish that almost completely covers the surface of the river.
The New South Wales region government said on Friday that “millions” of fish had died in the Darling River near the town of Menindee. This is the third episode of its kind in the area since 2018.
“It’s really awful. There are dead fish as far as the eye can see,” lamented Menindee resident Graeme McCrabb.
The fish population in the river has skyrocketed due to the recent floods, but they are now dying because of “low levels of oxygen in the water (hypoxia) as the water level drops”, explained the local government.
“The current hot climate in the region exacerbates hypoxia, as warm water contains less oxygen than cold water, and fish need more oxygen at higher temperatures,” he added.
Previous episodes of fish die-offs in the city have been attributed to a lack of water due to drought and an outbreak of toxic algae.
Regional Fisheries Department spokesman Cameron Lay said it was “shocking” to see dozens of kilometers of river littered with dead fish.
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