Ja: Too much fish in Mona Reservoir

THE NATIONAL Water Commission (NWC) has removed over one million dead fish from the Mona Reservoir since it was alerted to the fish kill, and continues to sweep the pond daily for more.

On a tour of the facility yesterday, led by President E.G. Hunter, NWC staff advised that the dead fish are bagged and then buried on the commission's property.

The NWC, which launched a probe into the fish kill on January 27, said they were alerted after some 800 small dead fish were seen by representatives from its quality assurance and environment divisions floating on the surface of the reservoir or washed on to the sides.

Since then, the fish continue to die at a similar rate every night.

While this is only a fraction of the millions of perch estimated to be living in the reservoir, the NWC maintains that the deaths were normal, and that water quality tests continue to show that the water is safe.

The commission theorises that there are just too much fish in the water fighting for a limited supply of oxygen.

Since the dead fish are being promptly removed, the rate of dying has decreased. Apparently the problem is caused by fish and eggs being washed into Mona Reservoir from the Yallahs and Hope Rivers.

Perhaps if the government allowed fishing in the reservoir, there wouldn't be such a huge problem.