Brazil officials probe what caused 50 tons of dead fish to wash up in Rio lagoon
By APSunday, February 28, 2010
50 tons of dead fish wash up in Rio lagoon
RIO DE JANEIRO — Thousands of dead fish are washing up on the shores of a popular beachside lagoon in Rio.
News Web site G1 says workers have cleared nearly 78 tons of fish as of Sunday. There is no immediate estimate of how many died, but several species are involved.
Rio’s environmental secretary speculates that increased levels of a harmful algae may be the immediate cause of the sudden die-off Friday. She tells G1 that authorities are still investigating.
The stench of rotting fish has dampened joggers and cyclists’ normal enthusiasm for weekend jaunts along the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon’s paths.
The 2-square-mile (4.5-square-kilometer) body of water is just north of Rio’s Ipanema Beach. A canal connects it to the Atlantic.
