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Identification history
| Unidentified | 15 Feb 2025 | Christine |
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User's notes
At least 10 large dead carp floating around the edges of the pond at West Belconnen Pond. Presumably some fisherpeople had caught them and later thrown them back in? Not good for the health of the pond I would have thought. Plenty of interesting waterbirds present at the moment.
3 comments
MattBeitzel
wrote:
17 Feb 2025
Unfortunately, there was w fish kill there last week Golden Perch and Redfin were cleaned up. Carp and Murray cod also reported.
Christine
wrote:
17 Feb 2025
Hi Matt, can I ask what you mean by "a fish kill"? Does this mean a deliberate killing of all fish, and by whom and how? There have been a lot of Pelicans, Cormorants and Grebe there in recent days, all feeding on the fish, so how would this affect them?
MattBeitzel
wrote:
17 Feb 2025
A fish kill is where a large number of fish to die at once. This can be for a variety of reasons, usually water quality issue or disease outbreak causes. Given this was multiple species and sizes its most likely due to water quality from recent rainfall runoff. After prolonged dry periods the runoff, particuarly from urban and rural areas, can contain both high organic load and sometime other contaminants. When the organics enter the ponds, particularly if it is followed by a period of high temperature bacterial breakdown can result in very low dissolved oxygen levels. I note in the wider photo a scunge on the surface that would further reduce oxygen level. Generally, there isnt a knock on negative effect to scavenging birds. However, the same conditions, or if there are high loads of dead fish, can result in a botulisum outbreak that will effect waterbirds. In this case TCCS has clean up the fish last week but if there are any more observer please report them promptly to access canberra.
Sighting information
- 4 - 15 Abundance
- Christine Recorded by
-
Collections
Christine NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Latest Carp Exotic Fish Fish
Additional information
- less than 1m Depth of sighting
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- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
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