ENVIRONMENT AGENCY INVESTIGATES FISH DEATHS AT FERRING RIFE

01/03/2005 - The Environment Agency is investigating how sewage entered the Ferring Rife in Worthing last week after large numbers of fish were found dead in the watercourse.
The Environment Agency attended the incident at Ferring Rife last Friday (28 February 2005) after receiving a report of dead fish there. Environment Officers immediately started both a clean-up operation to help minimise the damage and an investigation to find the source of the pollution.

Bob Jennings, Environment Management Team Leader said: "Unfortunately our investigations have shown that a huge number of fish have died and extensive damage has been done to invertebrates along the entire length of the Ferring Rife watercourse. We have taken samples from the water to determine the extent and severity of the incident and are currently investigating why sewage entered the Ferring Rife and if this is what has caused the fish to die".

From an initial survey, Environment Agency biologists estimate that several thousand small fish, including Stickleback, Rudd, Bullhead and Eel may have died. The Environment Agency is particularly concerned about eel deaths as the European population is in serious decline and this incident is at a particularly unfortunate time as juvenile eels migrate from the sea, into our rivers, from March onwards.

Sewage entering a river or stream can have devastating effects on the wildlife living there. Nutrients in the sewage can break down and use up oxygen in the water, making it hard for fish to breathe.