About frosts

Fish kill is a mass death of fish due to a lack of oxygen (suffocation) in the water. This occurs due to natural phenomena (e.g., hot weather and algal blooms in summer or ice cover in winter) or anthropogenic impact. Signs of fish kill include agitated fish behavior, rapid breathing, and leaping in search of clean water.

In the winter period, reservoirs and watercourses are covered with a thick layer of ice, which stops the access of atmospheric air to the water, sharply reducing the oxygen content in the water.
Fish kills are observed both as a result of the cessation of oxygen supply from the air and a sharp limitation of plant life under the ice.

In accordance with the Rules for conducting fishery and fishing, approved by Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of July 21, 2021 No. 284, measures to prevent fish kill phenomena and eliminate their consequences are carried out by local executive and administrative bodies, or legal entities specially authorized by them, in water bodies granted for lease or gratuitous use – by lessees or users of such water bodies.

In order to prevent fish kill phenomena, measures aimed at increasing the dissolved oxygen content in water can be carried out:
creation of ice holes in water bodies prone to fish kill phenomena;
liming of water bodies, which promotes the decomposition and acceleration of the mineralization of organic matter, as well as improves the gas regime, neutralizes the acidic reaction of water;
aeration of water bodies – the use of special equipment (compressors, pumps) for artificial oxygenation of water;
hanging bags of salt in ice holes.