OFFICERS from the Environment Agency continued to discover dead fish in The Basins on Monday (May 20) after an algal bloom was blamed for wildlife deaths.

EA officers visited the site over the weekend and again on Monday when they took water samples and discovered “a small number” of dead fish on both visits.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said water samples showed oxygen levels were sufficient - and that they believed the fish deaths were being caused by an algal bloom.

Certain kinds of blooming algae can release toxins into the water, which can kill fish swimming in the affected water, and in some cases even cause harm to humans, according to government guidance.

Algal blooms can also block sunlight from getting into watercourses, affecting underwater plant life and potentially depleting oxygen levels in the water.

Monday’s discovery came after reports by concerned members of the public sparked an Environment Agency investigation, with officers attending the site last week on Wednesday, May 15, and Thursday, May 16, where they found “half a dozen” dead fish.

The Environment Agency said it would be “engaging with local landowners to improve flow in the area to reduce the risk of further fish mortality.” They added that algal blooms can occur naturally during this time of the year.

It follows a July 2018 incident, in which more than 100 fish reportedly died in The Basins, with a further 1,000 said to be distressed - an incident which was blamed on low oxygen levels in the water.