The Chinese government is investigating the cause of a sudden fish kill which washed up on Wednesday 35 tons of dead fish in Hainan Island, located at the southernmost part of China.
The fish floated to the surface of Hongcheng Lake, reported Mashable. Experts believe the fish kill is because of the high saline level at the lake.
According to Lu Yongliang, a researcher with the Haikou Oceanic and Fishery Bureau, the fish came from the bigger Nangdu River which swept it into Hongcheng with the tide. Lu explained that saltwater fish would not live in freshwater because more water forcibly enters into its body, rupturing the fish’s blood vessels.
Hainan City workers have started to collect the dead fish in bags for disposal in incinerators and landfills.
But despite the explanation of experts, many Chinese believe the fish kill is because of pollution, reported AOL.
In August 2015, a similar problem hit Tianjin Port due to cyanide poisoning which was 277 times higher than the acceptable level. The source of the cyanide was traced to two big explosions at a chemical plant, poisoning the water and the marine life with deadly chemicals.