Chennai: A day after the stranding of dolphins in Tuticorin beach, a large number of estuarine fish were found dead on the beaches at Besant Nagar beach and Foreshore Estate on Tuesday. This has triggered concern among fishermen as well as environmentalists.
Rumours stating that such massive stranding of fish happened during 2004 Tsunami also made the rounds in social media. However seasoned fishermen at Foreshore estate stated that the fish have died due to pollution and alleged that untreated sewer was the reason behind the death of these fish near the Adyar Estuary. “The fish that died were mostly Madavai, Jillapy and Kendai and these are fresh water fish that cannot withstand hazardous pollution”, said R. Arokiam, a local fisherman of Pattinapakkam.
“During the monsoon the estuaries become a habitat for fresh water fishes and any depletion in oxygen levels will result in their immediate death. The death of fresh water fish has to be studied”, said Professor Manikandavelu of Fisheries Research Institute, Ponneri.
In case of dolphin deaths in Tuticorin, again there is a need for scientific study. He said that the deaths could be due to mixing of hot currents in the ocean and such currents misguide their transit resulting in stranding, the professor explained.
Environmental activist Nityanand Jayaraman pointed out the lack of action on the part of the government in his social media post and expressed the opinion that estuaries are generally safe places for fish. But this time something was different. Even the Jilepi fish (Tilapia) came to the estuary. “What drove them from the west towards the sea? They never come this far East, he wondered.”
