Members of the NSPAAD team collecting samples at Boyapadu beach in Anakapalli district on Monday (June 22, 2026) to investigate the recent mass fish kill.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A team from the Fisheries Department has collected samples of dead fish and water at Boyapadu in Anakapalli district to determine what caused a mass fish kill at the coastal village over the weekend. The samples have been sent to the State Institute of Fisheries Technology (SIFT) in Kakinada for analysis.The investigation was carried out under the National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD) on the directions of the Commissioner of Fisheries. It is part of a broader, ongoing initiative to ensure the health and sustainability of the region’s aquaculture sector. The primary objectives of the NSPAAD programme include the continuous monitoring of aquatic animal health, the early detection of disease outbreaks to prevent rapid spread, and the provision of timely technical guidance to local farmers to support sustainable aquaculture development.Investigation detailsSpeaking to The Hindu, an NSPAAD representative said the investigation was initiated on the instructions of the Principal and Additional Director of the State Institute of Fisheries Technology (SIFT), Kakinada, and carried out under the supervision of District Fisheries Department officials.“Our team visited the site to determine the cause of the deaths, collecting samples of dead fish and water, which have been sent to the SIFT laboratory in Kakinada for scientific analysis,” he said.
