Fish kill in Arborea, alarm raised by the Fishermen's Cooperative: "Business on its knees."

A nightmare that returns, punctual as always when temperatures rise higher than expected. The S'Ena Arrubia lagoon, in the Arborea area, has been overrun with dead fish for two days. This serious die-off is bringing the Sant'Andrea Fishermen's Cooperative, which manages the pond, to its knees. What happened is clear: the intense heat has put pressure on a particularly delicate ecosystem, characterized by low bathymetry, limited
Natural regeneration capacity and high sensitivity to changes in environmental parameters. That's what operators say. And this is the result.

Fishermen noticed the die-off between the evening of June 28th and the morning of June 29th, with the loss of many of the species most sensitive to changes in lagoon conditions. The situation was immediately documented by Cooperative staff through photographic surveys and on-site monitoring.

Numerous tons of dead fish were found inside the fishpond . At this time, it is not possible to accurately estimate the possible additional quantity of dead or missing fish within the lagoon. Available data from the monitoring buoy shows that, in the hours preceding and concurrent with the event, a highly critical environmental situation occurred, particularly with regard to temperature and dissolved oxygen levels. The monitoring buoy is coordinated as part of the scientific activities of GillaLab – Experimental Aquaculture Laboratory, part of the University of Cagliari – Faculty of Biology and Pharmacy. The data collected, as the fishermen report, confirm the delicate situation facing the lagoon and are consistent with the serious environmental distress observed by the Cooperative staff.

The S'Ena Arrubia lagoon, despite having benefited from the emergency interventions carried out last year, remains a fragile environment, especially during the summer months and in high temperatures . Under these conditions, even rapid changes in oxygenation, salinity, and turbidity can significantly impact the fish fauna.

«S'Ena Arrubia is a precious but vulnerable ecosystem - declares the president of the
Cooperative, Alberto Porcu - the recent heatwave requires maximum attention. It is necessary to constantly monitor the lagoon and intervene promptly whenever signs of environmental distress emerge.

The Sant'Andrea Fishermen's Cooperative will continue to monitor the situation and is available to collaborate with the relevant authorities and the scientific community for any technical and environmental investigations useful for protecting the lagoon. Safeguarding S'Ena Arrubia requires constant attention, prevention, and collaboration among all stakeholders. The lagoon represents a natural, environmental, and productive asset of great value for the entire region, which must be protected, especially during the most critical climate periods.