Scientific tests have proven that the high amounts of fresh water from rivers draining into the sea were what killed the fish on Mozambique beaches earlier this month.

On February 10, the BBC reported on the dead fish that had been washing up in Maputo Bay and worrying the authorities.

Lidia Cardoso, the minister of fisheries, stated on Wednesday that the findings showed that the primary contributing factor was the change in meteorological circumstances.

She also denied rumors that the fish had been poisoned with chemicals.

“[It] had nothing to do with chemical components. The discharge from the rivers due to the floods affected the fish, which are very vulnerable to stress - and because the salinity level in the water dropped, the fish died,” she said.