Fish mortality reported near Barahona pier in Dominican Republic

Hundreds of dead fish were found near the pier in Barahona, Dominican Republic, following maritime activities. Investigations by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources suggest the mortality was linked to the removal of accumulated sargassum from the seabed.

According to the Vice Ministry of Coastal and Marine Resources, the incident occurred during maneuvers to secure an abandoned Codonave barge. Tugboats used high engine power to move the vessel, which disturbed decomposing sargassum on the seafloor. This disturbance triggered intense microorganism activity that rapidly depleted available oxygen, causing fish to die from asphyxiation as they entered the area.

Other reports noted the arrival of the Poland Pearl, a Bahamas-flagged vessel carrying mineral coal for EGE Haina, as a potential factor in the local ecosystem disturbance. This event follows similar incidents of fish mortality in the Barahona region recorded in 2021 and 2025.