Guadalfeo River fish die-off reported due to low water levels

Thousands of fish have died in a two-kilometer stretch of the Guadalfeo River near Lobres and Salobreña after the riverbed dried up. The Association for the Conservation of Fish and Southern Ecosystems (Acpes) reported that the mortality includes numerous specimens of the European eel, which is critically endangered globally, as well as hundreds of cacho, an Iberian endemic species vulnerable in Andalusia.

Local authorities and environmental groups attribute the incident to a significant reduction in water flow. The Salobreña City Council has called for the immediate restoration of the ecological flow to the sea to preserve biodiversity. There are concerns regarding whether the water shortage was caused by insufficient discharge from the Rules reservoir or excessive water extraction for agricultural irrigation from the Vélez weir.

Environmental organizations, including Ecologistas en Acción, have worked to relocate surviving specimens to other areas. The Salobreña City Council has notified the Junta de Andalucía and the managers of the Béznar-Rules dam system to request urgent intervention.