KARACHI, Sept 5: Scientists believe that mass mortality of a single class small fish on Friday last took place as the coast was significantly polluted, said sources in the marine circle. An expert working on the sample of the dead fish collected from DHA Sea View beach said that oil was found in the guts of the fish in question.

It is said that about 100 tonnes of fish load ranging from 5 to 15cm in size and weighing 20 to 30 grams each were collected by vendors and fishery workers, most of which are believed to be used for preparing poultry feeds.

At a time when the Southwest Monsoon were weak and the winds from the South West towards the coast also blew low in the night on Friday, the young fish known as “mughal” moved to the region in submerged water, where vegetation and the animal life existed for feeding purpose and died as pollution concentration was high in the absence of mixing coastal water with the sea water, observed a source.

As the fish were small and unable to smell the oil they continued coming to the submerged area in the shape of school for want of food. Normally a matured mughal is found up to 30cm in length, but these, considered as coastal fisheries, are not eaten by people.

It appears that beaches were not cleared meaningfully after the Tasman Spirit disaster and oil spilled out of the ship had played havoc to the fish, apprehended a senior scientist, adding that the fish in question should not be allowed in poultry feeding at any cost.