Around one million dead fish are visible in a frightening fish kill on the Darling River near Menindee in rural NSW.
One hour’s journey separates Broken Hill from Menindee, a town of 500 residents.
Several large-scale fish kills have occurred there in recent years, with a 40-kilometer algal bloom in 2019 being the cause of the deaths of tens of thousands of fish.
According to a DPI official, about one million fish, mostly Bony Herring (Bony Bream), as well as a smaller number of other large-bodied species such Murray Cod, Golden Perch, Silver Perth, and Carp, have been impacted.
The spokesman added, “This event is still going on as a heatwave over western NSW continues to put more stress on a system that has already seen extreme circumstances from widespread floods.
Locals say the dead fish in the Darling River at Menindee is easily at millions. This is the life source of communities. This is just insane. @9NewsSyd @2GB873 pic.twitter.com/26u51YWQML
— Chris O'Keefe (@cokeefe9) March 17, 2023
According to the DPI, the Bony Herring species frequently experiences booms and busts over time.
It “booms” in population during floods, and can later “bust” when waters recover to more typical levels due to massive fatalities.
However, under extreme circumstances like the localized high temperatures right now, they may be more vulnerable to environmental challenges like low oxygen levels.
“Large quantities of fish from the flood plain, including carp and bony herring, as well as nutrients and organic materials, are being concentrated back into the river channel.
The region’s present hot weather is making hypoxia worse since fish require more oxygen in warmer temperatures and warmer water stores less oxygen than cold water.
The local council and several other organizations in NSW are still collaborating on the response.
Locals have suggested that the Murray Darling Basin’s poor river health and water mismanagement could be to blame for the mass deaths, although the DPI has already refuted these claims.
Murray Darling Basin Authority’s decisions to drain the Menindee Lakes in 2014 and 2017 to meet water demands downstream were criticized by locals.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries defines a fish kill as the sudden widespread death of wild fish.
The government noted on its website that while fish kills can happen at any time, statistics shows they are more likely to happen during the summer or after abrupt temperature changes.
From News.com.au:
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
