Fish kill reporting
To whom should fish-kills be reported?
You should call the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency pollution hotline number: 1300 130 372
What information should be reported?
As much as possible of the following information should be provided:
- Your name, address, and contact number in case further information is required by the investigating scientist;
- The exact location of the fish-kill, and an estimate of the area affected;
- The date and time of discovery, and an estimate of when the fish-kill might have happened;
- Weather conditions at the time of discovery and for the 24hours previously;
- An estimate of the number and size of fish affected, and the names or types of fish or other animals such as crabs involved;
- Whether sick or dying fish are also present, and if so, how they are behaving;
- Whether unaffected fish are also present;If only dead specimens are present, their state of decay,and whether some are less decayed than others;
- Whether any unusual or abnormal materials were present such as oil slicks, discoloured water, recently dumped rubbish;
- Whether any samples of dead fish, affected water, or other materials have been taken, and where they are being kept (see next section);
- Any other factual information which could be relevant, such as industries or agricultural activities in the vicinity of the fish-kill
What else can members of the public do to assist?
Because of the speed with which dead fish deteriorate and contaminated water flows away, it may help a subsequent investigation if on-the-spot samples are taken.
What to sample
- Both dead and dying fish (and any other animals affected)
- Sediments (mud or sand) from the water in which dead fish are found
- Water
- Any materials such as oil slicks or other foreign matter in the water
How to store samples
Clean containers should be used to store the samples. Glass jars or bottles are best, but plastic may be used if glass is not available. Plastic bags are acceptable for dead fish. Large (1-2 litre) soft drink bottles are ideal for storing water samples. Jam jars (150 grams or bigger) are ideal for storing sediment. Anything smaller than these sizes is of limited value for chemical analysis.
Bottles and jars should be pre-cleaned with hot water and detergent and rinsed several times in the water being sampled before a sample is taken.
If possible, several samples of each kind should be taken, for example at least 3 fish, 3 sediment samples, and 3 bottles of water. If a discharge or drain site is suspected as a source of contamination, samples should be taken both upstream and downstream of this, and clearly labelled with a waterproof pen or similar means.
All samples should be preserved by refrigeration, or kept on ice. If the area is remote and/or collection of samples by an investigator is unlikely for more than 24 hours, samples should be kept in a deep freeze. DO NOT freeze water samples without leaving an airspace of about 20% of the volume to allow for expansion.
Last updated: 08 September 2006
