Low oxygen levels in the water cause the death of millions of fish in a river in Australia

By Barbara Pereira / 18/03/2023 / 1 minute reading

Millions of dead fish block a stretch of the Darling River in a remote location in inland Australia, which is experiencing an intense heatwave. Videos posted on social media show boats plowing through a sea of dead fish that almost completely covers the surface of the river.

The New South Wales regional government said on Friday that “millions” of fish had died in the Darling River near the town of Menindee (Australia). This is the third episode of its kind in the area since 2018.

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The fish population in the river has soared due to recent flooding, but now they are dying because of “low oxygen levels in the water (hypoxia) as the water level drops,” the local government explained. “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.

Another catastrophic mass fish death in the Menindee Lakes.

The reality is the Darling River is very sick.

Years of mismanagement by the NSW Govt has exacerbated the impact of our changing climate – this local ecosystems has been pushed to breaking point. pic.twitter.com/KyDREzmIuG
— Rose Jackson (@RoseBJackson) March 17, 2023

Previous episodes of fish deaths 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.

(With AFP)

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