Since last Thursday, a mass fish kill has been reported on the border between Tamaulipas and Veracruz, but it wasn’t until this afternoon that the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) issued a statement on the matter and denied the presence of hydrocarbons.
The Tamaulipas Secretariat of Urban Development and the Environment (SEDUMA) reported last Thursday a large number of dead fish in the Chairel lagoon system.
Inspectors from the Tamaulipas Environmental and Urban Protection Agency (PAUT) conducted tours of the lagoons located on the border between Tamaulipas and Veracruz following reports from citizens regarding the aquatic fauna.
“During the inspection, personnel spoke with local fishermen, who indicated that the mortality of species such as carp, silversides, and bobfish could be related to changes in water conditions,” the statement detailed.
Testimonies gathered by the Ministry of Urban Development and the Environment (Seduma) indicated that breezes and tidal currents caused brackish water—a mixture of fresh and salt water—to enter the system following maintenance work on the floodgates operated by the Municipal Water and Sewerage Commission (COMAPA).
“Dead specimens were identified in the system’s second dam, prompting authorities to closely monitor the situation and assess potential environmental impacts,” Seduma stated.
On Sunday (three days after the initial reports), the National Water Commission (Conagua) issued a statement regarding the incident.
In the document, Conagua mentioned that “from the moment the incident was reported, personnel went to the site to address the emergency.”
They determined that one of the lagoon system’s floodgates was open, causing a mixture of fresh and salt water, thus disrupting the region’s ecosystem and resulting in the mass fish kill.
Conagua also stated that it is conducting the corresponding investigations to determine the cause of the floodgate’s opening.
“Conagua personnel proceeded to restore the floodgate to proper operation and took samples to measure water quality. It is also important to note that this determined there is no presence of hydrocarbons,” the statement concludes.
Source: latinus.us
