Fish in Delta Park are not dying in droves, as a social media scare on 13 October suggested.
Tamara Ebersohn tweeted at 7.53am, “@CityofJoburgZA @jozi117 @randburg_sun the pond in delta park near Penelope rd is polluted the fish are coming to the surface to breath/die.”
Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck responded, “Have reported it. Cud b no O2 in water.”
Then began a conversation between the groups on Twitter, witnessed by up to 45 000 people (the total followers of Randburg Sun, Truluck, and the City of Johannesburg). The result: authorities confirmed there was not enough pollution in the dam to be killing fish and the most likely explanation for the sighting of so many fish at the water’s surface was to eat other smaller fish.
“The barbel were probably surfacing just to feed,” resident manager of the Delta Environmental Centre Geoff Lockwood said. “At least it kept everybody on their toes. He explained that although sewage “periodically” flows downstream into the dam in the park near Penelope Avenue, lately there has not been enough to cause fish to die. The large barbel were probably surfacing to eat mosquitofish. Mosquitofish, Lockwood says, are small exotic fish. The females can grow up to 4cm, and the males up to 3cm.
“The Blairgowrie Community Association responded within an hour,” Truluck said. “And Shirley Tebbutt [park volunteer and publisher of the park’s online newsletter] and her team are doing a great job.” He added that without the community and people like Shirley Tebbutt the park might be a bad place. Lockwood concurred. “I can see that there are people looking, caring for the park,” he said. “That makes my job easier.”
Details: Delta Environmental Centre delta@deltaenviro.org.za or 011 888 4831; Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck ttruluck@gmail.com or 083 619 2419.
