Dead fish washing up on the banks of a lake that is expected to host Olympic Rowing competitions in 2016 are a new problem for the Local Organising Committee.
Fish dying is a fairly normal occurrence in Rio’s waterways according to experts, due to the raw sewage and garbage mixing with natural waterways.
Complaints about the stench of dead fish from residents near to the Rodrigo de Freitas lake where the canoeing and rowing is due to be held forced the city’s waste mane gent team to come out and clear the site.
A statement from the city’s environmental secretariat claimed the reason for the dead fish was “recent rains and high sea levels, which caused the lake’s water temperature to plummet.”
Water quality was a concern to the IOC however the local authorities had promised to clean it up before the Games in 2016. Now they have admitted that those promises will not be kept. Which has understandably led to concerns being voiced by sailors in relation to health and safety issues competing in garbage and sewer filled water.
So far everyone has refused to say that they are making a stink about the arrangements, as tho is obviously no laughing matter.
