A video circulating on social media showing the carcasses of fish and birds on the shore of the Aktobe reservoir prompted environmentalists to launch a water quality inspection, the website infohub.kz reports.
Aktobe resident Aigerim Turian posted the video on Instagram, saying the carcasses of fish and birds had washed up on the shore of the Aktobe reservoir.
The Aktobe Region Ecology Department responded to the post. "Following the discovery of dead birds and fish at the Aktobe reservoir, a working group has been set up. It includes specialists from the Department, the Aktobe regional inspection for forestry and wildlife, the department for natural resources and nature management regulation, the Tobyl-Torgai interregional basin fisheries inspection, the Aktobe regional branch of the state enterprise Kazhydromet, the territorial inspection of the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision, and representatives of the Aktobe city veterinary station," the agency said.
On September 29, the working group traveled to the site where the dead birds and fish were found at the Aktobe reservoir. "At the site, veterinary inspection specialists collected the carcasses of four birds (gulls) for laboratory analysis and testing. At the same time, the dead fish (one specimen) shown in the video, as well as a gull carcass pulled from the water, were not found," the department said.
According to the specialists' preliminary conclusion, the four collected bird carcasses may be unsuitable for laboratory analysis and testing because they had dried out, lacked soft tissue and for other reasons. "It should be noted that no cases of death or mass mortality of other birds and fish have been established," the Ecology Department said.
The working group took water samples from three points on the Aktobe reservoir: near the 14th kilometer of the Aktobe-Kandyagash highway; near the poultry farm at the 41st siding; and in the lower reaches of the Aktobe reservoir.
"Laboratory analysis and testing of the collected water samples will be carried out by the Department's testing laboratory and the Integrated Laboratory for Monitoring Environmental Pollution of the Aktobe regional branch of the state enterprise Kazhydromet. The testing period is five working days, until October 6," the agency said.
The Ecology Department also said the regional branch of the state enterprise Kazhydromet conducts monthly state environmental monitoring of water quality at the Aktobe reservoir. "Water samples are taken at three points: on the Ilek River, 15 km downstream of the town of Alga (above the reservoir), directly from the reservoir, and near the Silicate Plant (below the reservoir). According to the results of analyses for 2025-2026, no cases of high or extremely high water pollution have been recorded. The results of the working group's efforts will be reported additionally," the Ecology Department said.