‘Buckets full of fish’ die at Bullfrog Pan

A concerned owner of a business adjacent to the Bullfrog Pan phoned the City Times about fish dying rapidly in the pan.

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The woman, who preferred not to be named due to her business interest in the area, said they have been retrieving “buckets full of fish” since November.

She said the sizes of the fish varied, but dead fish had been found almost daily during the past week.

“It is just that the wildlife is dying and I think I must do something to preserve the Pan. It is a conservancy issue at the end of the day,” she said.

The City Times had the Pan’s water tested on January 25 and reported on March 16 that two lecturers at the University of Witwatersrand had analysed and interpreted the results.

Dr David Furniss, a lecturer in animal, plant and environmental science, and Dr Gavin Snow an aquatic science lecturer at the school of animal, plant and environmental sciences, said the Pan has a sewage problem.

After analysis, Furniss said he believes the Pan has a sewage problem as was supported by the high total organic carbon, ammonium and E. coli count.

He admitted he came to this conclusion without looking at the site or understanding the landscape.

Snow explained that the sewage spurs a nuisance growth of aquatic plants and blooms of cyanobacteria.

Cyanobacteria are algal blooms which may include species which are toxic to man, livestock and wildlife.

According to Ward 24 councillor Kabelo Mahonko, the EMM is aware of the problem.

“We have requested the Pan to be cleaned; I spoke with the department head. We are currently working on getting the de-weeder from Brakpan and as soon as we are in a position to get the budget, we will be attending to it.”

She added that they are monitoring the pan.

The EMM did not respond to questions about what measures will be taken to find the source of the sewage spill.

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