Dead fish seen along the edge of a pond in Darbandikhan following reports that infected fish were released from a local farm.
Darbandikhan official says fish dumped in viral video were infected, not from lake
SULAYMANIYAH — Darbandikhan district commissioner Sleman Mohammed confirmed Tuesday that hundreds of fish seen in a recent viral video being dumped into a body of water were infected and did not originate from Lake Darbandikhan.
The footage, which circulated widely online, showed large numbers of fish being released into the water. Posts accompanying the video claimed it was filmed at Lake Darbandikhan. Local authorities said they launched an investigation after the video spread on social media to verify its location and the source of the fish.
Mohammed told 964media that the committee formed to investigate the incident determined “one of the fish farms had fish that were infected, and the owners released them.” He added, “The fish were large but not from the lake. Some were buried under mud, and others were thrown into a few ponds.”
He said earlier that the location mentioned in the viral video was outside Darbandikhan’s administrative boundaries. “However, we formed a special committee to confirm the details,” he said, adding that the investigation is ongoing and a formal decision will follow once completed.
A similar incident occurred last year when fish from a private farm near Lake Darbandikhan accidentally escaped into the water during a transfer operation.
Lake Darbandikhan, located in Sulaymaniyah governorate, is one of Iraq’s main water reservoirs. Formed by the Darbandikhan Dam on the Diyala River, it provides irrigation, power generation, and fishery resources for surrounding communities.