Polluted & Low-Oxygen Floodwaters Killing 10s Of Thousands Of Murray-Darling Basin Fish

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TENS of thousands of fish, including giant Murray cod, have suffocated in dirty floodwater along massive stretches of Victoria's river systems. Fishermen and anglers are being asked to voluntarily limit their catch to minimise the impact on native fish populations in their spawning season.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is warning against eating discoloured fish because their poor condition may be a health risk.
A plume of oxygen-depleted water known as ''black water'' has travelled hundreds of kilometres from its launch point in the Barmah Forest near Deniliquin in New South Wales late last year into the Murray, Edward, Wakool, Goulburn-Broken, Lower Darling, Anabranch and Loddon river systems.

Fish deaths are expected to increase in some places, including Mildura, as the water warms.

Meanwhile, in another black water event brought on by recent flooding, thousands of dead fish were found rotting in the Wimmera River at the weekend, up and downstream of the Horsham weir. The Environment Protection Authority said it had also received reports of fish deaths in Cairn Curran reservoir.

EDIT

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/creeping-flow-of-dirty-water-killing-fish-in-states-rivers-20110125-1a4cg.html