Authorities are awaiting laboratory results to determine the cause of mass fish deaths reported along the Sarawak River near the Kuching Waterfront on Saturday morning.
Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh said several government agencies had collected water and fish samples for analysis following the incident.
The agencies involved include the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB), Sarawak Department of Agriculture (DOA) and Department of Fisheries.
“We will provide the outcome to the public based on the findings. We cannot at this stage speculate or assume what might be the cause,” he told The Borneo Post.
The fish deaths were reported along the riverbank near the Kuching Waterfront and Kampung Gersik-Boyan, where residents observed large numbers of fish surfacing before dying.
A check by The Borneo Post at the Waterfront in Kampung Gersik-Boyan found research officers from the Inland Fisheries Division under the Sarawak DOA collecting water and fish samples for further testing.
Residents in Kampung Gersik also claimed similar incidents had occurred in previous years. They said large numbers of prawns had also been spotted near the riverbank in recent months.
Asked about the claims, Len Talif said authorities would investigate the matter.
“We will investigate thoroughly,” he said.
