March 15, 2007

Thailand to investigate mass fish deaths in central regions

A ship sinking with 650 tonnes of raw sugar has triggered a 2-week investigation after hundreds of thousands of fish were killed in fish farms in the Chao Phraya River, a minister said Wednesday.

Environment, industry and irrigation officials were probing the deaths of the fish raised in pens along the river in the central provinces of Ayutthaya and Ang Thong, Deputy Industry Minister Piyabutr Chonvijarn said.

The sugar from the sunk freighter might have deprived the fish of oxygen, Piyabutr told a Bangkok radio station.

A monosodium glutamate factory opposite the pens in Ang Thong where the fish started dying on Monday was also fingered as a suspect in causing the fish deaths. 

Fish farmers further downstream from the sinking and the factory were also affected.

Officials have opened the dams of the rivers to flush the contaminants away and conditions should return to normal by Sunday.