Thousands of fish wash up dead at Umhlali River Mouth

Authorities are scrambling to determine what caused thousands of fish to wash up dead in the Umhlali River estuary, south of Tinley Manor, this morning.

Barracuda, mullet, flathead and juvenile kingfish, as well as crabs and shrimp, are among the scores of aquatic creatures annihilated overnight, coinciding with a thunderstorm. It is unclear how far upstream the issue started.

Water samples have been taken and sent to Talbot Laboratory for testing.

Ecologist and Dolphin Coast Conservancy chair Tessa Duane was shaken by what she found when she arrived at the scene at around 10am.

“It is the most upsetting sight to see. This is an important nursery area for our fish, and something has washed down and devastated the fish population here,” she said.

“We need to find out what caused this fish die-off, it’s a real tragedy.”

Video footage shared with the Courier shows Duane trying to resuscitate fish floundering on their sides or even upside down.

“What causes a fish to swim upside down? What is going on here? What is killing these fish? It looks like they just can’t breathe. It’s very distressing to see this,” she says.

In another video, she describes a shiny residue covering the sand and rocks and floating on the water surface.

A resident who made the discovery early this morning while walking his dogs on the beach described riverbanks lined with dead fish, while others were trying to get out of the water. He also reported the water having a “mild industrial effluent odour with a brownish tint.”

Sheffield Beach resident Robin Hesketh said he was seriously concerned over the impact the incident would have on a marine environment he described as “one of the best marine fishing grounds in the region.” He demanded accountability from local authorities following the investigation.

This is a developing story. Keep an eye on next week’s print edition of The North Coast Courier for more.

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