Thousands of dead fish appear in Glasgow's Richmond Park pond

The fish mysteriously appeared last week in one of the ponds in Glasgow’s Richmond Park.

When Oatlands resident Lisa Gillen went for her daily walk in the park with her 25-year-old daughter and her dogs, she spotted “little white things” on the surface of the main pond’s water.

She was left shocked when she realised the white specks were actually the bodies of thousands of fish floating in the water.

Oatlands resident Lisa Gillen discovered the dead fish at Richmond Park's pond.

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The 49-year-old has lived in the area for 33 years and swears she had “never seen anything like this”.

A video captured by the resident showed the fish amassed near a low bridge and surrounded by floating litter.

Glasgow City Council said crews have since started work to clear the fish and waste, and a plan would be put in place to deal with the water, which appears to be affected by blue-green algae.

Authorities have warned visitors not to touch the water at this time.

However, the cause of the mortalities is still unknown.

Ms Gillen said: “It was a bit of a shock.

“The pond has been in a bit of a state for a couple of years, but I’ve never seen something like this before and [I’ve] stayed in the area for 33 years.

“I was walking with my daughter and my dogs. We usually walk along the pond anyway because there’s usually a lot of swans.

“We just spotted wee little white things floating and upon closer inspection, I said to my daughter ‘they’re fish and they’re dead’.

“Then we walked up where the bridge is, and we just saw this kind of block and it was just all these dead fish. There was a lot of rubbish and just one little fish swimming about himself.

“I thought ‘I’ve never seen anything like this in my life’.”

Ms Gillen, who runs the Friends of Richmond Park group, said the pond usually has no fish, and has previously only seen some tadpoles swimming in the water.

The woman, who volunteers to look after the park as part of the group, said there is a long-standing issue with a pump in the pond.

She added the problem has been repeatedly highlighted in community meetings over the years, to no avail.

“It’s been going on far too long,” she said.

“A burn that runs around the park also had chemical waste in it, so the park has been through a bit of a rough time.

“It’s a historical place and it’s got good wildlife, so we need to try to preserve it as much as we can."

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In 2019, Polmadie Burn, which runs through Richmond Park, was sealed off after tests revealed the water was contaminated with high concentrations of cancer-causing hexavalent chromium.

Residents were later reassured that there was no danger to the public.

However, in April last year, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) investigated the “toxic" burn again, after it was pictured glowing luminous yellow as a result of the contamination.

A spokesperson for Sepa said: “Sepa is liaising with the local authority regarding a number of dead fish which have been reported in Glasgow City Council’s Richmond Park pond.

“The cause of the fish mortalities at this time is not known and investigations are ongoing.”

The Glasgow Times understands blue-green algae signage by Glasgow City Council has been installed around the pond.

Sepa encouraged members of the public to follow advice provided by the local authority.

Avant Homes, which is working on a development nearby, said: "We can confirm the pond and pump system at Richmond Park is outside the site boundary of our development in Oatlands.

"The outfalls from the development do not flow into the park’s pond.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson added: “We have been aware of issues in Richmond Park and work is under way to put the pond back into good order.

“Dead fish and other waste have been cleared from the pond and we have been liaising with Sepa on how to improve the condition of the water safely and appropriately.

“As the pond is filled with standing water, it is susceptible to a build-up of blue-green algae at this time of year, particularly following dry periods.

“Visitors to the park are advised to avoid any contact with the water at this time.”

While Sepa has not currently confirmed the presence of blue-green algae at this location, reports of such material can be made via the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Bloomin Algae App which can be downloaded here.

Sepa is encouraging members of the public to report any potential pollution incidents via its 24-hour online form on its website.