The Malaysian Insight

THE Penang government is still trying to determine the cause of the deaths of more than 50,000 fish on a fish farm in Teluk Bahang.

While findings in a previous incident earlier this year pointed to water pollution by heavy metals, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) was conducting tests to find out what killed the fish on August 11.

“USM is still testing and analysing samples. They need a lot more samples before they can find the cause of the incident. We also would like to know the reason as soon as possible,” Chow told reporters at the International Padi Festival 2.0 in Penang today.

He said an initial report on the incident, which had cost fish breeders RM800,000 in losses, was prepared by the state exco in charge of the environment, Phee Boon Poh.

The report said the fish died because the dissolved oxygen level in the water was too low.

USM’s Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (Cemacs) had also identified heavy metals in the waters of Teluk Bahang but they were not high enough concentrations to caused the fish to die.
In May, breeders who rear fish in cages in the sea, had also complained of fish dying by the thousands, and blamed sea pollution. – August 17, 2019.