Probe reveals death of fish at Dunga Beach caused by lack of enough oxygen

KMFRI boss Dr Christopher Aura says the thick green colour of algae that has formed in parts of the lake, which is a sign of increased water pollution, also made the situation worse.

Dr Aura says researchers from KMFRI collected samples from the cages area and also away from the cages for testing, also dead fish were taken for tests.

He says the team also observed floating dead snail shells in the water an indication that there was low oxygen concentration at the site.

He says the nets in the cages were clogged, limiting water circulation which may have hindered the supply of sufficient dissolved oxygen.

Dr Aura says changes in weather variants between cool and hot conditions in the lake due to pollution and climate change are encouraging existing excess algae growth to decompose faster, especially in low oxygen concentrations causing the foul smell encountered during windy spells.

He says as a result, the increased algae concentrations at the cage site that are undergoing decomposition and utilizing oxygen in the water caused low levels of dissolved oxygen which suffocates the fish.

Dr Aura urged cage farmers to be cautious about cage locations by consulting relevant authorities and also ensure proper spacing and even the number of fish stocked in the cages.