KARACHI, July 29: The Sindh environment and alternative energy department on Sunday ordered an inquiry into the dead fish found floating along the Keamari Harbour on Saturday.

The provincial Minister for the Environment, Dr Sagheer Ahmed, ordered the probe to ascertain whether the dead fish were thrown from a fishing trawler.

Officials of the environment department visited the harbour to collect samples of the dead fish for testing. Their initial findings suggested that the dead fish might have been thrown from a trawler. The officials said that the findings would be made public after the completion of tests.

“We are trying to locate the trawler that had thrown the dead fish. It is against Section 90 of the KPT Act dealing with pollution in the sea. A heavy penalty can be imposed on the trawler responsible under this section,” the Manager of the Marine Pollution Control Department of the Karachi Port Trust, Arshad Yahya Usmani, told Dawn.

He said that all the operators of fishing trawlers were aware of the rules and regulations, but the trawler in question might have thrown the dead fish some time in the evening into the deep sea, which found its way to the harbour.

The fish was three to four days old as their gills had turned white, he observed, which suggested that the catch was not fresh.

He said that four KPT boats were busy in cleaning the harbour. The dead fish have caused a stinking smell all along the harbour.

“We will clean the harbour by Monday evening,” Mr Usmani hoped.