Yzabelle Bostyn
ECOLOGISTS have launched an investigation after thousands of dead fish are discovered on the shores of Spain’s Costa del Sol.
READ MORE: Drought latest in Spain: Water brought in by ships risks being contaminated, expert warns
Dog walkers got a shock on Estepona’s La Rada beach yesterday, Tuesday, February 6, as it had become a graveyard overnight.
The ‘immature dead fish’ washed up in the area, considered a Special Conservation Zone (ZEC) by the European Union.
Now, a local ecology group, Ecologistas Sierra Bermeja, has demanded explanations for the ‘mass death’.
The green activists lamented the situation in an Instagram post, saying the carcasses were strewn ‘all over the beach, from one end to the other’ with many ‘even in the waves’.
It follows a similar occurrence in Fuengirola, leading the ecologists to question whether they were the result of a spill or ‘the surplus from a fishing boat’.
They also speculated that the deaths could have been caused by a nearby wind farm.
READ MORE: ‘Heaviest rains since 2022’ finally predicted to soak Spain’s Costa del Sol this week
However, they disputed claims that the fish had been killed by predators.
The collective has requested ‘an explanation into this mass death of fishes in one of Estepona’s busiest beaches’, claiming it could impact the towns ‘international image’ and its reputation as a protected space.
They have also urged authorities to take ‘responsibility’ and impose ‘relevant sanctions.’
Last year, a similar incident occurred in the Guadalhorce river, Malaga.
The Junta estimated some 350 dead fish perished after becoming trapped in a basin.
Over a period of a few days, sediment build up deprived them of oxygen.
READ MORE: Gibraltar monkey is captured after enjoying a day trip to Spain
