The Environment Agency confirmed a “fish kill” and visited to increase oxygen in the water
Fish in distress in Holderness Drain
A worried man has filmed dead and dying fish struggling for oxygen in Holderness Drain in east Hull. Sean Spencer, a local angler and fisherman, described it as a “disastrous fish kill” and said he was “really concerned for the wildlife and biodiversity of the drain”.
In the footage, a dead fish floats in the water. Nearby, hundreds of other fish are making “gasping” movements with their mouths near the surface.
Hull Daily Mail reached out to the Environment Agency on Friday afternoon, who said the problem would be investigated. On Saturday, workers from the agency put aerators in the water to increase the oxygen.
Sean, who reported the incident, said the fish had been behaving very strangely. He said he had “never seen so many congregating in one place”.
He described the scenes as “absolutely heartbreaking” and said he saw “literally thousands of dead fish and loads more gasping for air”. He feared the problem could be worse downstream, where the water is shallower.
Sean said it affected more than a two-mile stretch of Holderness Drain, from the bridge on Preston Road up to Sutton Park Golf Course. The Environment Agency confirmed it was a “fish kill” and took samples of the water.
It was believed to be caused by low oxygen in the water, rather than pesticides or chemicals. High water temperatures, caused by warm weather, reduces the volume of oxygen that water can hold.
Still water is more susceptible to low oxygen than fast-flowing water. When atmospheric pressure drops, such as during a thunderstorm, the ability of water to hold dissolved oxygen is also reduced.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Over the weekend our officers attended the site of a fish kill in Holderness Drain near Hull. We determined that there were no signs of pollution and that the incident was as a result of low dissolved oxygen in the watercourse caused by warm weather.
“Our officers deployed aerators in order to increase oxygen levels in the water. We would like to thank the people who reported this to us on our 24/7 hotline, 0800 80 70 60.”
Fish in distress can be reported on the helpline above. Signs of distress include: gasping at the surface, unusual concentrations of fish in small areas, signs of infection or fungus, and dead fish in the water.
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