Mystery of dead fish found floating near Fiddler's Ferry (From Warrington Guardian)

Mystery of dead fish found floating near Fiddler's Ferry

1:10pm Thursday 16th August 2012 in News

HUNDREDS of fish have been found dead in the stretch of water which runs alongside Fiddler’s Ferry power station.

A number of walkers made the upsetting discovery on Friday and are now calling on the council and Environment Agency to act fast.

Angry residents who live nearby say similar problems have happened three times in the past nine months following heavy rainfall and many more times in the past.

One described the water as a ‘soup of dead fish’ after weed appeared overnight and ‘seemed to be taking all the oxygen’.

She said: “Last week the canal took on a strange green hue and there was an excess of duck weed again and an obnoxious smell.

“Then on Friday my husband witnessed hundreds of fish including pike, eels, roach and carp at the top of the water gasping for air.

“It was a desperate sight and after many phone calls nothing useful appears to be happening.

“On Sunday eels that would normally be at the bottom of the canal out of sight are milling around the top trying to get air as they slowly die.

“It is a very sad sight and we are now at a loss as to what can be done.”

Another dog walker said it was a disgrace so many fish had died and claimed the water had not been oxygenated properly by Environment Agency staff.

Ernie Lightfoot, from Penketh, added: “It is not right that this has been allowed to happen again.”

Warrington Borough Council has blamed the problem on the weather encouraging the algae to grow leading to a lack of oxygen in the water.

A council spokesman added that park rangers would be working with the Environment Agency to monitor the situation.

The Environment Agency did not wish to comment.