The Isle of Wight Council has been making efforts to help the wildlife at Shanklin’s Big Mead pond following yesterday’s news that the potentially dangerous cyanbacteria – known as blue-green algae – could be present.
Yesterday morning (Sunday) Island Echo alerted readers to the possible hazardous situation off Church Road, which has already killed several fish and could lead to the deaths of dogs and health complications for humans.
Early tests showed that the water’s O2 levels were significantly below normal and therefore firefighters from the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service spent this afternoon (Monday) re-circulating the water, thus adding oxygen and bringing life back into the pond. The initial treatment has worked well, with the pond looking much healthier.
Councillor Chris Quirk has confirmed that the Environment Agency visited the pond this morning and have taken samples away for laboratory testing.
Not all blue-green algae blooms and scums are toxic but it is not possible to tell from appearance and so it’s best to assume they are harmful and take the following precautions:
– Do not swim in the water
– Do not swallow the water
– Avoid contact with the algae
– Do not eat fish caught from the water
– Observe and abide by any warning notices positioned around the water
