Dead fish were found in the waters and on the shore of Lake Alakol, causing concern among local residents and social media users. Specialists conducted the necessary research to determine the cause of the incident, reports infohub.kz.
A few days ago, Kazakhstani users began posting videos on social media showing dead fish in Lake Alakol and on its shore. The Balkhash-Alakol Interregional Basin Fisheries Inspection responded promptly to these reports. Specialists took water samples and samples of the dead fish from the site, which were sent to the Scientific and Production Center for Fisheries (SPCF) for research, examination, and analysis.
According to the SPCF conclusion, the analysis of water samples showed that the water condition is within normal limits and was not the cause of the fish death. At the same time, the analysis of the dead fish samples revealed that they were smaller than commercial size and had morpho-biological signs, including damage and traces of fishing gear. Consequently, specialists concluded that the cause of the fish death was mechanical impact from fishing gear (nets), not environmental factors.
The inspection also reported that unknown individuals had removed the dead fish and left them on the shore. To prevent such cases and combat poaching, local executive bodies and fishery entities have been issued instructions to carry out preventive measures. Currently, no fish deaths have been recorded in water bodies.
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstani users were posting videos on social media claiming to have found dead fish in the waters of Lake Alakol and on its shore.