Three Weeks after dead Fishes: Environmentalists raise alarm

…Laboratory test results of Mystery dead Fishes found ashore in Rivers State yet to be released

… Fear of food poisoning looms in among ignorant fish Consumers harvest and consume as free “gift” from God.

Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt

An Environmentalist like Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, are raising alarm that about three weeks after the news about massive death of fishes on the shores of Finima in Bonny Island and Oyoronkoto in Andoni rivers in Rivers State, test results of samples of fishes are to released to the public.

He said that more than two days after the deadline given by Igbiks Tamuno, Commissioner of Environment that the results of the tests would be out and he will make them public as guide on the health implication to fish consuming Public.

“As Environmentalists we are worried that when aquatic disasters of such magnitude leading to the death of millions of Aquatic lives and don’t get to know in the shortest possible time.
It is very imperative that the results of the tests are released immediately.

“We must get to know what killed the fishes to debunk the notion the dead Fishes were “gifts” from heaven as palliatives for the Covid-19 because People’s lives are at risk.”

At the peak of the apprehension of concerned the by members of the public the Rivers State Government through the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture had assured that it had sent samples to the laboratories in Fishery Departments in Rivers State University, RSU, and University of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT about three weeks after results are yet to be released by state government.

The cause the death of the massive quantity of the fishes has remained unknown while it has been consumers who discovered the dead fishes had a huge harvest of the for sale and consumption.

The specie of fishes found ashore Bonny Island is mainly Croaker, while those found in Andoni shores are of different species, including Croaker.

However, the Rivers State Government has taken some steps get to the root cause of death as the Commissioner For Agriculture, Dr. Fred Kpakol, who not confirmed the strange phenomenon assured that investigation into the cause of death of the fishes has began as samples have been taken to a laboratory at the Rivers State University Department of fishery.

Dr. Kpakol also warned residents of the state not to eat the fish.

Meanwhile, the affected fishing Community of Onyorokoto in Andoni local government area of has cried out for help considering the health risk the dead Fishes must have posed on its people who must have eaten those fishes.

The Rivers State Ministry of Environment has also confirmed massive death of fishes along the Rivers of Finima in Bonny LGA and Oyorokoto in Andoni Local Government Area.

A report which was brought to the attention of the Ministry by King M. O. Dic-Isotu, Abah Ogwuile XIII of Unyengala Doni Town in Andoni LGA.

Reacting on the incidence, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Igbiks Tamuno has called on the people living in the affected communities not to eat the said fishes, as the ministry will carry out full scale investigation to ascertain the actual cause of the death.

Investigations showed that the samples of the dead fishes found the two Local Governments have been taken to Fisheries Department of Rivers State University, RSU, and the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Studies the University of Port Harcourt for laboratory analysis to find out the cause of death.

Meanwhile, National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency, NODSRA and National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, have been drafted to find out the cause strange phenomenon.

Our Correspondent learnt that the decision was reached after a Consultative meeting was held between the State Government and the Federal agencies.

Latest reports have it that similar dead Fishes are also found ashore coastal Communities in Bayelsa and some parts of Delta states.

Expectedly, residents of the areas had fetching the “free dead fishes as manna from heaven at the time of lockdown over Covid-19 control”.

At the time of filing this report, the laboratory analysis report of samples of the dead fishes was yet to be made known by relevant referral authorities.