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Thousands of Fish Found Dead in River, Cause Unknown

A fishermen has captured the aftermath of fish kill event that has reportedly left thousands of fish and other aquatic species dead in the Murray River.

Local media reported that that Mandurah residents in South and North Yunderup woke up to the sight of thousands of dead fish in the Murray River on May 24.

A fish kill, according to the Department of Fisheries, is when there are sudden and significant number of deaths of aquatic life in a particular region.

Perth 9 News reported that health authorities advised people to stay out of the water and refrain from eating fish from the river until they conclude their testing.

The man who recorded this video, Steve Anderson, is a fisherman and a South Yunderup local of 15 years. He attributed the mass kill to toxins and pollutants from local industries being washed into the river after a substantial amount of rain; the cocktail of chemicals deplete the oxygen from the water and suffocates the fish.

Unfortunately, it is not an uncommon event experienced in the Mandurah region. The West Australian reported a fish kill in March 2017, another was reported by the Mandurah Coastal Times in March 2013, and not far north in Cockburn a fish kill event was reported by WA Today in December 2015. Credit: Facebook/Steve Anderson via Storyful