Iraq water crisis: Thousands of fish perished

In fishing, which is the source of income for the local population, massive fish kills occurred due to rising air temperatures and lowering water levels in the region.

When the fish perished due to the lowering of the water level flowing in the El-İz River in Meysan, the citizens reported the situation to the authorities. The Iraqi government has announced that it has launched an investigation into the matter.

“FIND A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM”

Tair Halaf, a fisherman from Meysan, spoke about the problems in the region. “We have had severe fish losses in recent days. Fishing and animal husbandry is the source of income for the people here. All the fish are dead. Halaf said the fish perished due to the lowering of the water level, the excessive salinity of the water and the lack of oxygen.

Defending that there is enough water in the region, but its distribution is not done correctly, Halaf called on the city governor and the central government to find a solution to the problem.

Fisherman Seccad Bidvi also said that as a result of the lowering of the water level, the fish were deprived of oxygen and “exploded”.

“Our source of income was fish.” Bidvi said, calling on Prime Minister Mohammed Shiya es-Sudani to find a solution to the problem.

A similar situation occurred in the Babylon province of Iraq in 2018, and thousands of fish perished. (AA)