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Agency investigates 500 fish deaths
Posted Thu, 29 Oct 2009
Environment Agency Officers are analysing water samples from a Kent lake after 500 fish were found dead.
The fish, of varying sizes and species, were discovered at Palmarsh Fishery in Hythe.
An investigation has been launched with environment management and fisheries officers visiting the 55-acre lake.
They have tried to save the remaining fish by raising oxygen levels in the water with aeration equipment.
A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said it is investigating a number of possible causes for the deaths, with the most likely scenario being it was due to a natural phenomenon rather than pollution.
Fisheries technical officer at the Environment Agency, Myles Robinson, said: "It's always devastating when fish die on this scale and we are working closely with the fishery owner to try and figure out exactly what happened to cause the deaths.
"Palmarsh Fishery is a very large fishing lake and the problem could be a very localised one, which makes it difficult to establish the exact cause.
"We are working to boost oxygen levels in the lake to give remaining fish a better chance of survival and will continue investigating the cause of this incident until we are satisfied that we know what happened."
Copyright © Press Association 2009
Environment Agency