3RD MASS KILL m MENINDEE
MILLIONS
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Deaths related to low oxygen levels in water as
floodwaters recede
AboatploughingthroughablanketofdeadfishontheDarlingRivernearSydneyonFriday,afppic
throughtheregion.
Videos posted to social media showedboatsploughingthrough
ablanketofdeadfishsmothering pearedtobeworsethanprevious thewater,withthesurfacebarely ones,
visibleunderneath.
The New South Wales (NSW) unfathomable.”
governmentsaidonFriday“mil
lions”offishhaddiedintheDar- bony herring and carp had warmertemperatures.”
lingRivernearthesmalltownof boomedintheriverfollowingre-
Hesaidthisyear’sfish killap- thegovernmentsaid. the last,” the NSW government
“Thecurrenthotweatherinthe warnedin2019.
State government fisheries region is also exacerbating hy-
“The environmental impact is poxiaaswarmerwaterholdsless spokesmanCameron Laysaid it oxygenthancoldwater,andfish was“confronting”toseetheriver Populations of fish such as have higher oxygen needs at chokedbydeadfish.
“Weareseeingtensofkilome- PreviousfishkillsatMenindee treswherethere isfish reallyas Menindee, in thethird masskill centfloods,accordingtothestate — about 12 hours’drivewest of farastheeyecansee,soit'squite government,butwerenowdying here — have been blamed on a aconfrontingscene,”hetoldthe
“It’shorrific really,there’sdead offinhugenumbersasfloodwa- lackofwater inthe riverdue to ABC.
tersreceded.
SYDNEY
ILLIONSofdeadand tohittheareasince2018.
rotting fish have
cloggedavaststretch fish as far as you can see,”
ofriverneararemote MenindeelocalGraemeMcCrabb townintheAustralianoutbackas said. “It’s surreal to compre- a searing heatwave sweeps hend.”
M
“These fish deaths are related gal bloom that stretched over someravagedMenindee500bypeoplehasbothaandpopulationdroughthas beenandof“Unfortunately, this won’t be floodinginrecentyears.AFP prolongeddroughtandatoxical
tolowoxygenlevelsinthewater 401<m.
(hypoxia)asfloodwatersrecede,”
