Tengrinews.kz - A video allegedly showing a mass fish die-off in the West Kazakhstan region has been circulating on social media, prompting a response from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Committee.
The video, posted earlier on Instagram with the caption "Kazakhstan, WKR [West Kazakhstan Region], Uralsk," shows fish frozen in ice.
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"Look, just two days ago, there was water here, and the fish were alive – pike, hybrids – look how many fish," a voice behind the camera comments.
However, the Fisheries Committee clarified that the Ural-Caspian Interregional Basin Inspection had verified the video as originating from the Astrakhan region in Russia. The clip was first shared on Telegram on February 14.
"The ice thickness in the water bodies of WKR reaches 30-40 centimeters, and the weather and climate conditions in the video are entirely different. Fishery inspection specialists in WKR conduct daily monitoring and inspections of local water bodies," the committee stated.
Previously, almost 2,000 dead seals were discovered along the Caspian Sea coastline. The Ministry of Agriculture commented on the situation around the mass death.