11 Jul Massive Fish Kill in South West Victoria
The illegal opening of a river in south-west Victoria has resulted in a massive fish kill. A trench was dug through the sand bank between the Surrey River and the ocean at Narrawong.
Artificially opening the sand bar at the wrong time can have devastating consequences for the animals living there which can result in massive fish deaths. This could happen in the Moore River Estuary!
Opening the mouth of the river at the wrong time causes the high-quality water with the optimum oxygen levels to flush out to sea, leaving fish with poor quality water. A natural opening caused by rainfall typically allows the water to mix, preventing a loss of only the high-quality water.
A similar incident at Narrawong in 2005 caused the death of 30,000 fish. Fortunately in this latest incident the Surry River received very good rainfall very quickly after the opening which assisted the water quality immensely and avoided the extended fish death period of 2005.
It is not only the fish that suffer, the whole of the river ecosystem is adversely affected when the bar is opened illegally. This is why we ask one and all to leave nature to open and close the bar when the time is right.
(Photo Supplied by Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority)