Mass fish kill after ash and sludge from bushfires wash out into Macleay River, Australia
Hundreds of thousands of fish died in New South Wales, Australia after rains washed out ash and sludge from bushfires into the Macleay River. According to an ecologist, the impact of the fish kill may be felt for decades, with long-lived species such as the Australian bass among the worst hit.
"The water was thick and black. Fish were gasping and dying on the river bank," said local Arthur Bain. According to other residents, parts of the Macleay River was like a "runny cake mix" that stank of rotting vegetation and dead fish.
Species seen dead were eels, bullhead mullet, yellow-eye mullet, herring, gudgeons, catfish, and the worst hit, Australian bass.
"The river is finished for generations– I won't see this come back in my lifetime," said James Pritchard, founder of the Bellbrook Social Fishing Club.
Professor Lee Baumgartner, a freshwater ecologist at Charles Sturt University, said the fish would have suffocated due to lack of oxygen from the water as ash and nutrients produced bacteria. Moreover, as the water becomes sludgy, fish are unable to pass enough water over their gills to extract oxygen.
"These things can have decades of impact. It can be really terrible," Baumgartner said.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) said it has been receiving reports of a mass fish kill in the river since December 2019. In a statement, the NSW DPI said they are investigating the event and fisheries staff have started conducting field assessments.
Image credit: Arthur Bain
Image credit: Arthur Bain
Image credit: Arthur Bain
Featured image credit: Arthur Bain
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Other support options include Patreon pledges, one-off payments using PayPal and purchasing products from our webshop.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.