Tons Of Dead Fish Cover Brazil River. Dumping Of Industrial Waste Suspected Cause

Prosecutors called it a 'sad environmental disaster' that has moved everyone due to the seriousness and extent of its impact, adding that it will also affect the local community and fishermen.

Tons of dead fish were found near one of the main rivers in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, allegedly killed due to the "irrregular" dumping of industrial waste from a sugar and ethanol plant, environmental authorities and prosecutors said on Wednesday.

According to an Associated Press report, Sao Paulo’s prosecutors said in a statement said that, based on preliminary analysis, it was estimated that between 10 and 20 tonnes of fish died on the Piracicaba River.

Prosecutors said the initial investigation has pointed towards “irregular discharge of wastewater” from Estiva’s Sao Jose plant in the community of Rio das Pedras which trickled to a stream that flows into the Piracicaba River. 

The Piracicaba River crosses a protected area named Tanqua that is often referred to as mini-’Pantanal’, after the world’s largest wetland. Its basin covers an area of 12,531 square kilometres. On Wednesday, floating dead fish covered the waterway.

Adriano Queiroz, director of licensing at Sao Paulo’s environmental agency, told AP that it would “take years for the environment to recover”. Due to the number of fish killed and the variety of species affected, the impact on the biodiversity is significant, he added.

Prosecutors called it a “sad environmental disaster” that has moved everyone due to the seriousness and extent of its impact, adding that it will also affect the local community and fishermen. The prosecutors have requested a full report into the conditions of the water, and are currently waiting for technical information before they take the next steps regarding civil and criminal liability. 

Police are investigating whether an environmental crime was committed, Sao Paulo’s secretary for public security said in a statement, AP reported. The Estiva company risks a hefty fine.

On July 7, Sao Paulo’s environmental agency, known in Portuguese as CETESB, first received information regarding a mass die-off and strong odour coming from the river. The same day, in an attempt to dilute the pollution, the agency asked the Salto Grande hydroelectric power plant to increase the amount of water released. By July 9, the oxygen level rose favouring the conditions for the survival of the fish.

However, there were reports of another mass die-off in Tanqua about 60 kilometres from the city of Piracicaba.