Updated
The NSW Government is investigating after thousands more fish have been found dead at Menindee, in the state’s far west — less than a month after a mass kill in the same area.
Fisheries officers from NSW’s Department of Primary Industries are on their way to the river to confirm the number of fish killed.
Earlier this month, the area rose to prominence after about one million fish died in the area.
That followed a smaller kill at the end of 2018.
The previous two kills were the result of a blue-green algae bloom which stripped the water of oxygen, suffocating the fish.
The temperature in Menindee dropped about 20 degrees Celsius between Saturday and Sunday, and about 2.1 millimetres of rain fell at the weekend.
Severe temperature change and rain can worsen algae blooms.
The small town an hour from Broken Hill has drawn worldwide attention this past month, and the previous fish kill was considered a national ecological crisis.
NSW Government officials say the state’s drought was to blame for the fish kill earlier this month, but locals in Menindee claim the areas waterways have been mismanaged for years.
Menindee Tourism Association president Rob Greggory said the event was “tragic”.
“What we are seeing is probably the last lot of fish that are here now,” he said.
“There will be none left.”
Mr Greggory said it was disappointing the Prime Minister or Federal Environment Minister had not visited the area.
“It would be nice for them to see it with their own eyes, instead of looking through the lens of a camera,” he said.
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