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Record-breaking rain and floods are taking a toll on waterways, with the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) warning of potential mass fish kills.
The government agency is imploring residents to report any mass die-offs over the coming days and weeks.
NSW DPI Fisheries Deputy Director General Sean Sloan said native fish have been “put through the wringer” over the past few years, with drought, bushfires and floods.
”We want people in our river communities to be alert for fish deaths in the coming days and weeks due to significant rainfall across most of the state,” he said.
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”These flood events can wash a lot of organic matter into the river, such as grasses, leaves and fallen vegetation.
”The rapid breakdown of this material can strip oxygen from the water. If dissolved oxygen drops to very low levels, this can cause ‘hypoxic blackwater’, which can be stressful for native fish, especially over long periods, and can lead to fish deaths.”
The areas DPI Fisheries are concerned about include the Murray, Murrumbidgee, Lachlan and Darling-Baaka valleys.
”While these areas are of particular concern to DPI Fisheries, we’re asking everyone to be on the lookout for fish deaths, given the widespread rainfall and flood activity across the state in recent months,” Sloan said.
