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Mass fish kill at Greenough River, near Geraldton, caught on camera

Kate Ryan and Adam PoulsenThe West Australian
VideoHundreds of dead fish have been found washed up on the shore of Greenough River just outside Geraldton.

Tourists have shared their horror at seeing thousands of dead fish washed up on a riverbank near Geraldton.

Huge amounts of dead fish coated the sand of Greenough River, around 25 kilometres south of Geraldton late last week.

The mass fish kill has baffled social media users, who took to various platforms to express their upset at the scene.

Tik Tok user Sheree Braden shared footage of the dead fish.

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“We’re down at Greenough. It’s horrible,” she can be heard saying in the video.

“It keeps going, both ways.”

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation said the more than 3000 fish could have died as a result of changes in salinity of the water, from recent rain and high tides, and have urged people not to pick up or cook the fish.

Thousands of dead fish at Greenough River.
Camera IconThousands of dead fish at Greenough River. Credit: TikTok/Sheree Braden

The warning comes as some people could be seen scooping up nets full of fish, despite authorities warning people not to eat them.

“Contact with dead fish should be avoided and the Department of Health advises against eating or handling fish found in these circumstances,” the spokesperson said.

“Fish specimens were collected by DWER and will be assessed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. DWER is analysing phytoplankton sample.

The fish have been identified as bony herring (75 per cent) and black bream (20 per cent). The remaining five per cent were whiting and hardyhead.

The department will investigate what killed the fish but has flagged the possibility of the kill being linked to recent wet weather events.

“Fish specimens were collected by DWER and will be assessed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. DWER is analysing phytoplankton sample,” the department spokesperson said.

“Fish deaths are often water quality related such as reduced dissolved oxygen and changes in salinity, which is consistent with the recent rains and high tides in the area.”

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