Dead fish incident in Pantai Lido not due to pollution

JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 4 -- The incident where thousands of dead fish found at Pantai Lido here on Aug 28 is not due to effluent released from industrial or sewage sources, said Johor Local Government, Urban Wellbeing and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon.

He said this was based on initial investigations by the Department of Environment (DoE) at the location.

“The in-situ readings at the scene found that it was free of any effluents released from industrial or sewage sources.

“Instead, the water readings from DoE conclude that changes in the eco-system had occurred in these waters,” he said in a statement here Tuesday.

Tan said the parameter readings of the dissolved oxygen (DO) for the suitability of marine life is 5.0 mg/l compared to the actual DO rate recorded in the waters of Pantai Lido at around 3.6 mg/l.

The findings conclude that there had been changes in the ecosystem of the waters resulting in the dead fish found on the beach.

Tan said he had also asked DoE to monitor the water quality and take corrective action to ensure there was no recurrence of such incidents.

He said the Fisheries Department's role was necessary to complement DoE's efforts in addressing the long-term ecosystem changes in the waters.

-- BERNAMA