Molasses waste discharged in Blue Nile killing fish

Dec 11, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — The Ministry of Animal Resources has said that it has confirmed that the reason behind fish perishing in the Blue Nile in Al-Jazirah State was molasses waste being discharged by the sugar factory near the area.

Speaking to Akhbar al-Yawm daily newspaper, the head of the internal fisheries department at the Ministry of Animal Resources, Abdelmajid Mohamed Badreldin, said a team investigating the phenomenon of dead fish had ascertained without doubt that the molasses being discharged into the Blue Nile by the factory had suffocated and killed the fish.

He revealed that local leaders in Al-Jazirah State had informed them that discharging molasses waste was routine only that in this case larger quantities than usual had been discharged.

He pointed out that fish samples were still being examined and that the results would be announced before adding that precautions would remain in place until further notice.

In a similar vein, the head of the internal fisheries department revealed another case of dead fish observed in the Blue Nile near Al-Damazin area.

He said investigations had shown that these fish had died as a result of regular army military training operations.

He said the phenomenon was noted to have ceased once operations stopped and that the effect was limited to shallow areas of the Blue Nile.

(ST)