Milandhoo faces fish die-off as lagoon turns murky

Sh. Milandhoo has been facing the mass death of fish, with the lagoon around the island turning from blue to black.

Videos of the alarming phenomena have gone viral on social media.

It shows that a large stretch of the island’s lagoon has turned murky, with schools of dead fish seen floating above.

The incident comes weeks after the completion of dredging works to build an airport in the island.

Some netizens linked the murky waters with the dredging.

Aiman Latheef (Piko) said the damage isn’t limited to the island’s lagoon, but also its mangrove lake.

It has been less than a month since reclamation was completed for an airport the island didn’t even need

Currently:
- The Harbour is black and full of dead fish
- The island’s famous Sikundi Kulhi mangrove is dying https://t.co/4CZbn4Esf5 pic.twitter.com/FoStVkqCE4

— Piko (@AimonLatheef) May 30, 2026

Milandhoo Council president Ibrahim Mihad believes the fish die-off is linked to climate change.

But he noted that the affected area is close to the airport project site.

“We believe this is linked to climate change. The area that turned black is the recently reclaimed area. The murkiness has improved a lot now. But it still continues to be there, somewhat,” he said.

The council reports that fish are continuing to turn up dead in the area.