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| News Items |
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| City investigating fish deaths in Milnerton Lagoon |
19 March 2013 |
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The
City
of
Cape
Town
and
other
government
departments
are
currently
investigating
the
cause
of a
large
number
of
fish
deaths
in
the
Milnerton
Lagoon. |
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Since
Friday
15
March
2013,
a
significant
number
of
dead
adult
mullets
(commonly
known
as
harders)
have
washed
up
along
the
shoreline
of
Milnerton
Lagoon
between
the
Woodbridge
Island
and
the
estuary
mouth. |
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The
exact
cause
is
being
investigated
but
may
be
difficult
to
determine.
It
is
suspected,
however,
that
the
fish
deaths
can
be
attributed
to
high
nutrient
levels,
high
water
temperatures
and
low
oxygen
levels.
The
high
nutrients
could
be a
result
of a
combination
of
factors
such
as
the
very
high
temperatures
of
last
week
and
the
re-dissolving
of
nutrients
from
the
sediments
(the
slow-release
of
nutrients
from
the
sediment
base
into
the
water
column).
Summer
low
water
levels
could
have
also
added
to
the
low
available
oxygen. |
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At
this
stage
there
is
no
evidence
of
any
toxic
spill.
Samples
of
fish
tissue
are
being
analysed
by
the
Department
of
Agriculture,
Fisheries
and
Forestry.
Results
will
be
made
public
as
soon
as
they
have
been
finalised. |
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Members
of
the
public
are
advised
that
they
must
not
collect
or
use
the
dead
fish.
In
addition,
recreational
users
of
the
vlei
and
local
residents
are
urged
to
avoid
swimming
and
other
water-based
recreational
activities
such
as
canoeing
downstream
of
the
Otto
du
Plessis
Drive
bridge
as a
precaution. |
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To
date
over
10
tons
fish
have
been
removed
and
taken
to
the
Visserhok
landfill
site,
and
there
is
still
just
less
than
five
tons
of
fish
to
be
removed. |
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City of Cape Town Media Release - 19 March 2013 |
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