Don't Worry Re. Massive Fish Kill , Says Canada's Fisheries & Oceans, Famed For Laser-Like Accuracy

[hatrack]

HALIFAX — Scientists have yet to find a cause for the massive fish kill off southwestern Nova Scotia, but one federal official said he doesn’t think there is a reason to be concerned based on testing so far.

Kent Smedbol, manager of population ecology for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), said Friday that while the lack of an obvious cause is “perplexing,” he doesn’t personally believe there is need for concern at this point. “I can’t speak for the department, personally at this point from most of the studies that have been undertaken, the evidence provided to date, I don’t think there’s a great cause for concern,” Smedbol said in a news conference Friday.

Since late November, thousands of dead herring have been found in a 100-kilometre swath from St. Marys Bay to Tusket, with most found between the mouth of the Sissiboo River and Plympton. More recently, scores of starfish, clams and lobster have also turned up dead, and a dead whale also washed ashore on a beach in Whale Cove. Smedbol said scientists conducted testing on the Bay of Fundy on Thursday and preliminary results for temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen came back normal.

A camera scan of the bottom of St. Marys Bay also showed normal conditions and an abundance of live lobster in the area. “That would indicate that the die off was unlikely due to an environmental event, because you would expect more broad-scale die offs across species particularly in the benthos, animals on the bottom,” Smedbol said. “Things seem to be pretty normal on the bottom of St. Marys Bay.”

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http://www.vancouversun.com/news/national/massive+fish+kill+nova+scotia+98perplexing+98great+cause+concern/12622056/story.html

[MuseRider]

1. They all got old at the same time?

Suicide cult?

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Fish sticks for everyone, eh ? nt