After the weekend flash floods, a large number of fish lay dead in Wemmerpan.
People started to see floating dead fish on February 8, and on February 10 there were still lots of dead fish in the pan.
When the COURIER visited Wemmerpan, the stench of dead fish was all over.
The caretaker at the pan, Chris Mokgotho, said there was something in the water.
“There’s definitely something dangerous in the water that killed the fish. These are sensitive fish,” he said.
Alan Bentley, captain of Wemmerpan Rowing Club, said this is a major ecological disaster of concern to all of Southern Joburg.
Rod MacKinnon, chairperson at Wemmerpan Aquatic Clubs, said after the rain cleared on February 8, their staff at Wemmerpan Aquatic Clubs grounds saw that a large number of very mature fish were floating dead in the pan.
The wind had dispersed them to the sides.
“More than 50 specimen fish and many smaller fish were lifted from the pan. There are at least 30 more on the northern side of the main inlet and there are fish dispersed around the pan’s edge, along the bank and in the reeds.
“These are mature fish of the triploid grass carp population that was first released into the pan under appropriate permissions and permits in 1999 to control the aquatic weed (potomageton pectinatus) that has the capacity to choke the pan if it is not controlled.
“Also, the rotting fish will create a health hazard in the next day or so. They are already decomposing rapidly.
“We removed over 50 fish already from along the bank on our property.
“We will remove others blown there by the prevailing northerly wind. Also, in the short-term, we anticipate that the kingfishers and grey herons resident at the pan may eat carrion or small polluted fish and die.
“There are many gulls eating the carcasses in the shallows and they are also highly susceptible.
“Warning signs should be put along the bank informing the public of the water quality and warning against fishing or removing floating fish,” he said.
When contacted about this matter for comments on February 10, manager of communications and marketing at Joburg Water Isaac Dhludhlu said: “We will revert back shortly.”
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