Fish deaths linked to pollution in central Iraq

Shafaq News – Babil

Large numbers of dead fish have been discovered in the Yahudiya River in Babil province, with initial tests pointing to environmental pollution as the likely cause.

The province’s Environment Directorate said on Sunday that joint teams collected water samples and performed autopsies on the fish. Jasib al-Hijami, Head of the Environment Protection and Improvement Directorate in the Middle Euphrates region, confirmed that examinations showed no signs of disease, indicating poisoning or contamination.

Residents reported to Shafaq News that tankers have been dumping wastewater into the river at night, alongside visible waste and stagnant water flow.

The Environment Ministry announced that laboratory analysis is still underway and pledged legal and technical measures to protect the river and safeguard public health.

The incident follows a series of mass fish die-offs in Iraq linked to pollution and drought. In June, thousands of fish perished in the Ibn Najm Marsh, which spans Najaf, Babil, and al-Diwaniyah provinces. Local authorities at the time blamed depleted oxygen levels caused by severe water shortages and mechanical failures in irrigation systems.