They have also been warned not to drink from contaminated water.

This is according to the commissioner of Aweil Central County Peter Nataly Okech.

Okech says the county authority is investigating an unknown disease that has infected fish in the Lol River.

This comes after fishermen there discovered wounds on bodies of the fish they caught from the river.

Okech says the river connecting Aweil West and Aweil Central Counties appears to have been contaminated.

He stated that they have issued an order for removal of all fishing nets and hooks from the river until experts establish the cause of the infection.

“We have had an outbreak of fish sickness in our area here for eight days now since the outbreak of the sickness, from our side in the Southern side of Aroyo in Aweil Center county till Aweil West county there has been this sickness, Okech told Eye Radio.

“The fish that has scales is eating the one without scales, and we are scared because of this situation. We issued a local order for them [people] not to eat fish and also not to drink from this water unless its boiled.

“The ministry of fishery has not responded and therefore, I am urging the national ministry of animal resources and fishers to take up this issue more seriously.”

Dominic Chol, the public health officer in the area, appealed to the national government to send a team of experts to investigate the disease.

“I am next to the river called Shiil river. The fishes in this river are contaminated and this might come to our people who are drinking this contaminated water because we don’t have hand pumps here,” said Chol.

“I am appealing to our government, ministry of health and down to the state ministry of health in Northern Bahr El ghazal and NGOs to help us with Aqua tab or chlorine tablets to treat the water to prevent the disease.”

The local population in the area reportedly depends commonly on fishing during the dry season.