Industrial pollution is supposed to have killed about 13,500 fish and prawns in an aquaculture project in Sungai Petani province in January. According to fisheries department public relations manager Halijah Mat Sin, investigations ruled out disease as the cause of the deaths.

She said preliminary reports revealed that the fish and prawns died due to a low level of oxygen and high ammonia content in the water. She said dead fish and prawns were found in Sungai Petani waters and at an aquaculture farm in the Sungai Batu Larangan area. Fish species that died included belanak, kapas, gerut-gerut and several species of prawns. Halijah said fish rearers could seek advice and guidance on the locations of their projects from the department.