Ocean current blamed for mass fish deaths in Guangdong bay

By Jiang Jie Source:Global Times Published: 2013-7-17 0:08:01

 

The mass death of eels and fish in Daya Bay, Guangdong Province, was a result of oxygen deficiency caused by an ocean current, local authorities said in a statement sent to the Global Times Tuesday.

The explanation from local officials from the area came after pictures of mostly dead eels that had been washed ashore on the bay's Xiayong Beach were posted online on July 10, which stirred up discussions over whether wastewater discharged by two nearby oil refineries was to blame.

Two refineries under the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) denied that the wastewater they discharged led to the mass deaths.

The CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited (CSPC), one of the companies, showed its discharge has met national standards and would not cause pollution.

Yan Naifeng, head of environment and security department of the Huizhou Branch of CNOOC Oil and Petrochemicals Co, said the two companies' discharge pipelines are linked and their wastewater can only flow out if it passes environmental tests.

Moreover, the water quality of the sea area surrounding Xiayong Beach also met the standard for aquiculture after two days of monitoring from July 10, said the statement.

Investigation results by local authorities showed that all the eels live in the bottom layer of the sea, and their death is related with the seasonal ocean current, which flows into the bay from July to September every year and lowers the oxygen saturation at the seabed. 

Li Guihe, head of the environmental monitoring station of the Huizhou oceanic and fishery bureau, told the Global Times that this is the first time they have received reports from residents about large quantities of dead fish on the shore.

"About 100 kilograms of fish was washed ashore. Maybe it's the large quantity that caused the speculation," Li said, adding that the wastewater discharge from the two companies has always met the criteria under the station's supervision.

"We will go on monitoring the ocean current and give warning in advance," Li said.

The southern Guangdong coastline, including Daya Bay, was affected by red tides 16 times in 2012, and is suspected of being caused by pollution, according to provincial oceanic authorities in May.  



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