Millions of Rotting Fish to Be Removed From Australian River

Dead fish float along the Darling River near Menindee, Australia, on March 19, 2023. Samara Anderson/AAP Image via AP

CANBERRA, Australia—Contractors are being hired to remove millions of rotting fish from a river in the Australian Outback after a unprecedented die-off following floods and hot weather, police said on Monday.

The fish started dying in the Darling River near the New South Wales town of Menindee on Friday. Officials say the die-off likely occurred because fish need more oxygen in hot weather, but oxygen levels in the water dropped after recent floods receded.