Mismanagement blamed for mass fish deaths in Jashore: Probe

Mismanagement at a fish farm, rather than frequent power outages, caused the recent large-scale deaths of fish at AF Fish Farm beside Sonamukhi Bill in Sharsha upazila, an investigation committee has found.

The district administration formed the committee after media reports attributed the fish deaths mainly to frequent power cuts.

The committee visited the farm on Tuesday, spoke with relevant people, examined power supply records and assessed the water quality with assistance from the Department of Fisheries.

According to the investigation, power supply to the feeder line was interrupted for around 44 minutes, from 1:42am to 2:26am on August 22. Power supply was otherwise normal before and after the interruption.

The committee also found that fish had started dying before the power outage, ruling out frequent load-shedding as the primary cause.

An examination of the affected water body found several factors linked to the fish mortality, including excessive fish density, high-protein feed, the accumulation of organic and nitrogenous waste, excessive phytoplankton growth, irregular pH and ammonia levels, and low dissolved oxygen.

The farm also lacked sufficient aeration facilities and an alternative power supply, which the committee identified as major contributing factors.

The farm owners said they had invested heavily in the operation and suffered substantial financial losses. They also said they were unable to install a generator because of financial constraints.

The committee concluded that the allegation of frequent power outages was not supported by power supply records or other findings of the investigation.

Ashish Kumar Das, assistant commissioner of the district administration, urged all concerned to verify information and facts before publishing reports to prevent misleading or exaggerated accounts.