The Fisheries Department has concluded that low oxygen levels in the Haulover Creek caused the many fish deaths reported last week.

Fisheries Officer Wilfredo Pott told The Reporter that for fish to survive the water's oxygen content needs to be a 5/1000 ratio.

When the Department of Fisheries responded to the incident, on site testing of the water revealed that the oxygen content was at a 1/1000 ratio, making it highly unlikely that any fish would survive in that particular area of Haulover Creek.

With regard to why the oxygen levels were so low, Pott explained that the area of the Haulover Creek, particularly the area closer to the city, generally has low dissolved oxygen levels because of the industrial businesses in the area such as the mills and the lumber yard.

Pott went on to say that prior to the fish death, the country had endured heavy rains which could account for abnormal amounts of chemical bi-products being washed into the river, reducing the oxygen content more than usual.

The Fisheries Department said the public should not be alarmed, especially since the overflow of water has run off from last week and there are no longer any dead fish along the creek.

The Reporter