'The Darling will die': Scientists say mass fish kill due to over-extraction and drought

Australian Academy of Sciences panel says urgent steps needed to restore flowsA scientific panel investigating the causes ofthree mass fish deaths at the Menindee lakes has pointed the finger squarely at those managing the Murray-Darling river system, saying the lack of flows was caused by a combination of drought and over-extraction, leading to the environmental disaster.“The conditions leading to this event are an interaction between a severe (but not unprecedented) drought and, more significantly, excess upstream diversion of water for irrigation,” the panel of scientists convened by the Academy of Sciences said. “Prior releases of water from Menindee Lakes contributed to lack of local reserves.”Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Murray-Darling Basin Australia news Environment Water New South Wales Science Bill Shorten Drought Climate change Source Type: news