Thousands of fish perish in Vietnam due to a heatwave afflicting Southeast Asia.
Folks have been trying to navigate through and gather the massive quantities of deceased fish covering the 300-hectare Song May lake amid a scorching heatwave.
The intense drought hit Vietnam's south in April with temperatures reaching almost 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), putting immense pressure on farmers trying to keep their crops healthy.
The local community and media are pointing fingers at the drought, the heatwave, and the reservoir's management as possible culprits.
Recent images show fish piled on top of each other, muddy, dry, and deteriorated.
The water in the lake has been reported to be too shallow for the creatures to survive, as there's been no rainfall for several weeks, as per AFP.
A resident named Nghia from Trang Bom district told AFP that the fish "died due to lack of water," adding, "Our lives have become chaotic due to the odor."
Despite the use of numerous buckets and nets, removing all the fish seems to be incredibly challenging.
The media has estimated that around 200 tons of fish could have perished following a botched renovation attempt at the reservoir, according to AFP.
Pictures reveal a significantly dried-up and cracked lake bed, with the lifeless fish floating in the remaining water.
Nghia informed AFP that the renovation process involved a pump being brought in to eliminate mud, allowing the fish more room to move around.
The reservoir is a source of water for the crops in Trang Bom and Vinh Cuu districts, and its management had previously discharged water from it in an attempt to save crops downstream, Nghia shared.
Tuoi Tre newspaper stated that the extra water initially intended to be poured into the lake for the fish was instead redirected downstream due to the "relentless heatwave," as per AFP.
Officials are currently probing the mass fish die-off while simultaneously working to collect the dead fish, AFP reported. [Your name], Jan. 29, 2023
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The current heatwave affecting the world, including Southeast Asia, is contributing to extreme climate conditions, as seen in the ongoing fish die-off in Vietnam's Song May lake.
Governments worldwide need to prioritize climate change mitigation efforts to prevent such devastating impacts on ecosystems and communities across the globe.
Source: edition.cnn.com
