Video, photos emerge of mass fish kill at Hattah Lakes

The Weekly Times has obtained photos of a fish kill at an iconic Murray Darling Basin site in northwest Victoria.

REPORTS are coming in of a fish kill at Hattah Lakes, which is one of the Murray Darling Basin’s most iconic sites.

Fish kill: The images were taken last Sunday at Hattah Lakes in northwest Victoria. Picture: Supplied

The Weekly Times has been supplied with images of dead fish — which appear to be carp — in one of the lakes, despite it still containing water.

Introduced species: The dead fish appear to be carp, which is a pest.

The supplied images were taken last Sunday at the lakes, which are in northwest Victoria about 80km southeast of Mildura between the Calder Highway and the Murray River.

Iconic site: Environmental water is fed into Hattah Lakes from the Murray River via Chalka Creek.

Environmental water is fed into the lakes by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder from the Murray River via Chalka Creek.

Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville said Lake Hattah (which is one of the Hattah Lakes) was currently going through a drying period as part of the local management plan to mimic natural wet and dry periods.

“Allowing the lake to dry between environmental watering is the best way to reduce the number of carp, an introduced pest species, and gives the native fish much needed space and oxygen,” Ms Neville said.

“It also improves the overall health of the lake by giving native vegetation a chance to re-establish — providing habitat for birds and native fish the next time Lake Hattah receives environmental water.

“Other lakes nearby have been recently watered to provide drought refuge for local wildlife.”