Gross! Millions Of Dead, Rotting Fish Is Australia's Latest Climate Change Disaster

Dead fish cover a river in Australia. Receded floodwater
and an intense heat wave are blamed for this gross disaster.

 This is a great week to thank your lucky stars you do not live in Menindee, New South Wales Australia.

Along the Darling River there, millions of fish died and are rotting in this enormous, disgusting pack. The Associated Press said highly variable weather is to blame. Record heat blanketed the region, and fish need more oxygen in hot weather. 

But the hot weather helped recent floods recede, and that reduced the oxygen levels in the water.  

As the Associated Press reported:

"Police Assistant Commissioner Brett Greentree said keeping the town's water supply put was the main priority and removing the dead fish was the next pressing issue. Trained contractors had been contacted about removing the fish with nets, but dates for the work haven't been set."

Well, they better get on it pretty quickly, this seems like it can only get worse. Unfortunately, this might be a task too big for anybody.

"I'm certainly not making promises that all the millions of fish will be removed by contractors because that is really a logistical nightmare," Greentree said, as reported by the AP.

Authorities  have been supplying safe drinking water to the town.....

As CNN reports:

"Heat waves across Australia have become more frequent and intense as climate change worsens and global temperatures continue to rise. 

Expert and government agencies have warned that Australia will continue to see spikes in extreme rainfall and heat, as well as more dangerous fires."

The town with millions of dead fish is small, with about 500 residents. So this has to be pretty overwhelming for them. 

Smaller fish mass die-offs have been reported in other towns in the region.