圣马丹一条靠近首都菲利普斯堡的闸门运河日前发生创纪录的鱼类大量死亡事件，数千条死鱼覆盖水面[1]。当地政府将死亡原因归咎于水体氧气严重下降[1]。
死亡的鱼类主要为罗非鱼，属于入侵物种[1]。这类大规模鱼类死亡事件在每年5月至10月最为多发，恰逢该地区最炎热干燥的月份[1]。
面对前所未有的清理规模，官员正在调集资源进行处理[1]。公共住房、城市规划、环保和基础设施部长帕特里斯·甘布斯二世表示，"本地没有这种规模清理所需的设备"[1]。当局正考虑部署小船和渔网来协助清理工作[1]。
Thousands of dead fish have blanketed a canal near Philipsburg in Sint Maarten following what authorities are describing as a record-breaking die-off event discovered on Saturday [1]. The massive mortality, predominantly affecting invasive tilapia species, has been attributed to severe oxygen depletion in the waterway [1].
Officials have acknowledged the scale of the crisis exceeds local capacity to manage. According to Patrice Gumbs Jr., minister of public housing, urban planning, environment, and infrastructure, "We don't have the equipment locally that's needed for this scale of cleanup" [1]. Authorities are exploring deployment of small boats and fishing nets to assist removal efforts [1].
The incident occurs during the region's peak season for such die-offs, which spans from May through October—the hottest and driest months [1]. Scientists and environmental officials have mobilized equipment as they work to clear the affected canal [1].