Hosea 4:3 being fulfilled? Thousands of Birds and Fish Suddenly Die!!!

[Psalm 51:17]

Hundreds Of Dead Fish Wash Up On Beaver Lake(Minnesota)
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/05/06/hundreds-of-dead-wash-up-on-beaver-lake/
5/6/13

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – The spring weather brought with it something pretty unsightly near St. Paul. Hundreds of fish recently died in Beaver Lake, and many of them ended up all along the shoreline.

Fish kills are not unusual this time of year, but this one has Ramsey County officials worried. The fish died even though there is an aeration system in Beaver Lake.

Ruth Klabunde walks her dogs around the lake about three times a week. The first thing she noticed was the smell.

“This is a really fun little lake to walk around,” Klabunde said. “And the stench was kind of bad.”

And then Klabunde says she saw the source.

“This whole little bay area here was thick with dead fish,” she said.

When the ice finally went out on Beaver Lake a week and a half ago, it left behind schools upon schools of dead fish.

It’s estimated that more than 7,000 pounds of dead fish – mostly catfish, sunfish and bass – have been taken out of Beaver Lake. But what caused this unusually large fish kill is still a mystery.

Beaver Lake has an aeration pump that can be turned on when oxygen levels get low. Ramsey County turned the pump on in February, but it only reaches a small part of the lake.

Terry Noonan is a water resources manager for Ramsey County public works. He said the DNR stocks the lake with fish. But instead of reeling in panfish, they had to hire someone to pull them out by the truckload.

“For whatever reason this year the aeration system did not perform as we’d hoped,” Noonan said.

He thinks the cold spring and too many fish seeking oxygen caused Beaver Lake to go belly up.

“It could be that just so many fish accumulated in that relatively small area, that that’s a stresser in and of itself,” said Noonan.

The extent of the fish kill won’t be known until the DNR can get out and do some sampling. There are still fish in the lake, but Noonan said there is little doubt that this could temporarily hurt recreational fishing.

It’s possible the DNR may have to restock the lake if fish numbers get too low.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://news.yahoo.com/oops-china-somehow-loses-27-000-rivers-221245003.html
Oops—China Somehow Loses 27,000 Rivers
5/7/13

In the classic Paul Robeson tune, “Ol’ man river, he just keeps rollin’ along.” But not in China.

This past March, several startling reports about the country’s rivers came out one on top of another. First there were reports of over 16,000 dead pigs floating through the tributaries of the Huangpu River—a source of tap water, by the way.

Then, 1,000 duck carcases were found floating down the Nanhe River in the country’s Sichuan province.

A few days later, Chinese authorities reported that about 100 human bodies were retrieved from the Yellow River—which runs in and near Lanzhou, the capital of inland Gansu province—each year.

While this all sounds like some sort of national nightmare, there’s even more bad news: The rivers themselves are actually disappearing.

The Active Times recently reported that China has announced they’re “missing” 27,000 rivers. While one official was quoted as saying part of the problem can be attributed to old, inaccurate maps that inflated the actual number—reputed to be around 50,000—there are definite environmental factors at work as well.

Huge projects like the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze were constructed to generate power and to mitigate flooding further down the river, but at very large environmental and human costs.

And Chuck Howe, a water policy expert and emeritus professor of economics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, tells TakePart that while the North China Plain has been the breadbasket of China, it has also become increasingly dry.

“The Yellow River has delivered water from the Loess Plateau for centuries while carrying and depositing hundreds of millions of tons of sediment from the plateau—in the process building up the riverbed until it is nearly 20 meters above the plain,” says Howe. “I have the impression that the sediment problem has been mitigated to some extent but accompanied by diminished flows.”

But Howe adds that, “China has the capability to do whatever they want—technically and financially.”

Starting point: Find out what really happened to those 27,000 rivers.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.harlandaily.com/view/full_story/22486570/article-Dozens-of-dead-fish-found-in-Catrons-Creek
5/6/13
Dozens of dead fish found in Catrons Creek(Kentucky)

Joe P. Asher

Staff Writer

The appearance of dozens of dead fish in the Catrons Creek branch of the Cumberland River over the weekend has some residents worried.

According to Elcomb resident James Lively, the dead fish appeared in the water beneath the bridge on KY 72 at Elcomb.

“I saw them there under the bridge laying in the water dead,” said Lively.

Lively said he observed an official from the Department of Fish and Wildlife investigating the situation on Sunday.

Lively pointed out the first time he saw dead fish in the water was approximately two weeks ago.

“This is just the second time I’ve seen this, and I’ve been living here for 25 years,” said Lively.

Lively said he saw the dead fish float down the river, but he doesn’t know where the problem originated.

“They don’t die here, they come from somewhere up the river,” said Lively.

According to Lively, he saw about 40 dead fish, all carp, floating down the river on Saturday.

“Some of them were probably 18 inches. They were pretty good sized fish,” said Lively.

Linda Potter, public information officer for the Department of Natural Resources, said an investigation had been done.

According to Potter, the Department of Natural Resources regional supervisor in Middlesboro learned the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources were investigating the incident and sent their own inspectors to the scene.

“They checked it out and they didn’t find anything. It was running clear when they got there,” said Potter.

Potter said inspectors found no evidence of any mining operations having done anything that could have caused the fish kill.

“We did go up there,” said Potter. “The inspectors went up there and did the normal inspection that they do when there’s been a complaint about a fish kill or a black water incident or any kind of discharge. We didn’t see anything.”

Potter said the incident does not appear to be mine related in any way.

Steve Combs, with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the situation is being looked into.

[Kilika]

Mine runoff doesn't kill just carp. If it kills, I'd say it kills everything. I don't think it's mining related. Just one species of fish? Some dead carp is no loss for sure, as they aren't exactly prized eating.

[Psalm 51:17]

Zhengzhou Tai Lake fish turned belly people suspect that the water quality in response to: or hypoxia due to rain
5/10/13
http://www.newsking.us/news-4462542-Zhengzhou-Tai-Lake-fish-turned-belly-people-suspect-that-the-water-quality-in-response-to:-or-hypoxia-due-to-rain.html

WASHINGTON In the early morning of May 9, the rain after Emperor lake surface, floating a large number of fish turned belly. Many people suspected a problem with the water quality, the Zhongyuan District Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Monitoring brigade staff said, from the inspection situation, the fish turned belly may be related to the lack of oxygen in rain water.

All fish farmers distressed stomp

Yesterday, 8:30, located Navigation Road tongbai Road intersection the Royal lake on the southeast side of the hordes of fish spit blisters, a sluggish, anemic. The shore catch fish, random shuffled around the hook and string bag to fish in, will soon be hooked to or to groan a fish.

Master Liu Yuejin, who lives in Tai Lake Gardens, remove drive a man to fish and filled the trunk of the car pulled to the side of the road to sell some people have also caught fish.

'The lake is so big, I have no control, only fishing with them.' Talk of the town distressed contracting Royal Lake fish straight stamping, he said the 'turned belly' silver carp, a few one thousand kilograms, so that he lost at least $ 60,000, but only watched people go fishing.

The fish turned belly hypoxia may rain

Many people suspect that water quality is a problem. Zhengzhou City, the river management office staff said that this year due to the Emperor Hunan side of bridge building construction, this is April 1 turned off the water flowing through the Tai Lake Reservoir valve for the public suspect along the sewage into the lake, the staff said less likely.

10:00 yesterday, the Central Plains District Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Monitoring brigade staff came to the lake to investigate. Take water samples, the staff said, on April 26 last year, the Royal Lake after a heavy rain, the fish turned Tong situation, sampling was conducted by the team, no abnormality was found April 18 this year, the team had Tai Lake water quality sampling was conducted and found no abnormalities. pond fish turned again yesterday, from the point of view of the check may rain The lack of oxygen in water.

Subsequently, the reporter to the Jiangang around the reservoir fish ponds visited and found that fish ponds have aerators, do not turn fish pond, and a few did not install the aerator ponds, the same fish turned Tong situation.

Provincial Academy of Fishery Sciences, a staff on duty said that the crest of the mud after the rain, river water, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and other organic matter content increased, consume large amounts of oxygen, causing the fish floating on the water and turned belly.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Dozens-of-Dead-Fish-Found-in-Bristol-Pond-206803681.html
5/9/13
Hundreds of Dead Fish Found in Bristol Pond

DEEP crews responded to Page Park on Thursday to investigate

Hundreds of dead fish were discovered in a pond in Bristol Thursday.

Bristol Parks officials and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to Page Park after someone called to report the dead sun fish floating on the surface of the pond.

Experts from DEEP classified the occurrence as a natural kill.

"The sun fish right now are spawning.  When they go into spawning, they are in close proximity to each other," said Don Mysling, Senior DEEP Fisheries Biologist.

During spawning, the fish don't eat and become weak.  They can get small cuts and are susceptible to illness.

"Virus or bacteria can spread quite rapidly from one individual to another," Mysling said.  "So it's not an unusual occurrence."

Bristol work crews gathered some of the dead fish to keep the area looking clean.  Scavengers like raccoons or turtles will take care of the rest of the carcasses, experts said.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.wandtv.com/story/22210170/dead-fish-washed-up-on-shore
5/9/13
Dead fish washed up on shore

Decatur, IL – The State Department of Natural Resources is looking into a fish kill on Lake Decatur. An unusual amount of fish washed up on the shores in Nelson Park. Most of the fish are drum perch and a few shad fish. The DNR says they are aware of the problem, but are still trying to determine a cause. 

[Psalm 51:17]

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-22463975
5/9/13
Hundreds of fish found dead in Leiston park pond(England)

Hundreds of fish have been found dead in a pond maintained by a youth group in Suffolk.

A man walking his dog through a park off Haylings Grove, Leiston, made the discovery on Monday.

The Environment Agency said about 400 fish had died in the pond, which is looked after by the Leiston Youth and Community Angling Society.

The group's secretary, Malcolm Briggs, said the cause of the deaths was unknown.

'Nothing untoward'
 
He said it was "disheartening" to have seen the fish, which were mostly young roach, on the surface of the pond.

"I've been told it could be parasites or bacteria which are always there with the fish and something has triggered them off," he said.

"These things do happen it was just unfortunate it was our turn."

Mr Briggs said there had been no signs of anything untoward on the pond the day before.

The Environment Agency said it believed the deaths were not caused by pollution.

"Our investigating officers who went to the pond could not see any outward signs of disease, and the fact that all died in a close period of time suggests that was not the case," a spokesperson said.

"It could be that there was a temporary dip in oxygen levels, which is not uncommon at this time of year.

"As the water gets warmer the fish are also spawning, which could affect their health.

"However, as there is no suggestion of problems in the water or disease of the remaining fish, we are not actively investigating."

[Psalm 51:17]

http://talkvietnam.com/2013/05/oyster-deaths-leave-farmers-with-losses/#.UZJOe2wo5Mu
5/11/13
Oyster deaths leave farmers with losses

THANH HOA (VNS)— Aquaculture farmers in the central province of Thanh Hoa have seen large numbers of their oysters die since the beginning of last month, leaving them tens of billions of dong out of pocket.

The deaths wiped out 60-80 per cent of oysters raised across hundreds of hectares of aqua farms at coastal communes in Quang Xuong, Hau Loc, Nga Son and Hoang Hoa districts.

Tran Thi Hien, a farmer in Quang Xuong District’s Quang Nham Commune, said the oysters died due to polluted water being discharged into Quang Nham’s waterways and fishing areas.

In addition, workers harvesting jelly fish have seen the animals die after drifting into tidal areas. Polluted water filled with dead jelly fish also exacerbated the oyster deaths, she said.

More than 30 households raised oysters in Quang Nham Commune. Each household has 1-3ha of oysters. For each hectare, local farmers invest VND450-500 million (US$21,400-23,800) to buy baby oysters and run their business.

Le Van Thuan, a farmer in Hau Loc District’s Hai Loc Commune, blamed polluted water discharged in the Kenh De River for the oyster deaths. A number of livestock and poultry farms have been set up along the river.

Thuan said he has 7ha of oysters but dozens of tonnes of them died and he suffered a loss of VND700 million ($33,300).

Cao Thanh Tho, head of the Thanh Hoa Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Aquatic Product Breeding Division, said samples of water, soil and dead oysters were sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department of Animal Health for tests.

No parasite causing diseases were discovered on the oysters.

However, the amount of ammonia in the water and soil exceeded regulated levels by ten times.

Tho said oysters were selling slowly this year so oyster farmers had large stocks in their ponds.

The density of oysters in aqua farms was more than 300 per square metres, while the regulated density is only 150-200 per square metre. The high density resulted in a lack of food for the oysters, which may also have led to the deaths.

An additional factor was that oysters were currently in their reproductive season, a time when their immunity is weak. Meanwhile, the weather in the province has been erratic, said Tho.

Do Quoc Canh, chief of the provincial People’s Committee secretariat, said that the committee had received reports and proposals on support for farmers in Hau Loc and Hoang Hoa districts. — VNS

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.georgianews.ge/society/23267-dead-dolphins-washed-ashore-in-batumi.html
5/8/13
Dead dolphins washed ashore in Batumi(Georgia)

Two dead dolphins were washed ashore by the sea in Batumi on May 8. The one meter-long sea pig dolphins were later found to have died as a result of the morbillivirus epidemi, Rustavi 2 channel reports. Head of the Flora and Fauna Association Archil Guchmanidze said ten cases of the sea washing dead dolphins ashore had been recorded this year on shores in Georgia.

[Psalm 51:17]

Penguins and sea lions found dead on Chilean shore
5/16/13
http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/health-and-environment/26160-penguins-and-sea-lions-found-dead-on-chilean-shore#.UZY4yCy1IFU.facebook

Chilean Navy discovers more than 600 dead animals in Punta de Choros, a small fishing  town north of La Serena.

The bodies of sea lions, cormorants and penguins littered a seven mile stretch of beach in Punta de Choros, northern Chile on Sunday. The crime scene is in close proximity to the Humboldt Penguin Nature Reserve.

Two days prior the Movement in Defense of the Environment (MODEMA) reported a band of ten fishing boats off the coastline of Punta de Choros. MODEMA and other environmental groups accused the boats of blast fishing — using explosives to catch mass quantities of fish.

Sernapesca, Chile’s National Fishing Service, investigated the scene and determined that all the animals were killed by the same incident. Autopsies report animales with fractured skulls, missing rib cages and multiple abrasions.

Local authorities promptly called in the Investigative Police’s (PDI) Environmental Crime Brigade for further investigation. Microbiological and chemical analysis tests are currently being run to determine if blast fishing is the cause of death.

In Chile, blast fishing is illegal. Companies caught fishing in this manner face prison time and fines. The monetary amount depends on the damage to the ecosystem. However, causing the death of penguins during commercial activities is a jailable offense. Officials from Sernapesca told The Santiago Times that the combined offenses amount to a “serious crime.”

“This situation is quite complicated because of the crime scene’s location near the penguin reserve,” Cristián Felmer, an environmental expert, stated to the press. "This is one of the most important environmental incidents we’ve had in recent memory.”

This isn’t the first environmental calamity at Punta de Choros. In April of last year, 350 Guayano cormorants washed up on the beach. The next month, Sernapesca reported the deaths of more than 80 sea lions.   

In light of the most recent crime, the international marine conservation group Oceana is pushing to have Punta de Choros made a Marine and Coastal Protected Area (AMCP). The proposal would limit human activity along the more than 175-mile coastline to eco-friendly tourism.

"While there are two marine reserves in the area, this ecosystem is much larger and has little protection from threats such as those that apparently killed all these birds,” Alex Muñoz, executive director of Oceana, told press.

Oceana filed a joint proposal with scientists from Universidad Católica and the Center for Advanced Studies in Dry Areas (CEAZA) to make Punta de Choros a AMCP in 2010. The proposal came amid plans to build a thermoelectric power plant in the area. The highly controversial plan was scrapped after generating a wave of protests.

Punta de Choros is a small fishing village of 320 people. It is home to the largest population of Humboldt penguins in the world. The site attracts thousands of tourists annually.

[Psalm 51:17]

Hundreds Of Dead Animals Washed Up On The Shores OF Punta Choros, Chile

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2013/05/21/caribou-numbers-plummet-on-baffin-island/
5/21/13

Caribou numbers plummet on Baffin Island
It’s a shocking decline. In the past 20 years, caribou numbers have dropped by about 95% in the southern region of the island.

A survey by the territory of Nunavut in northeastern Canada conducted in 2012 and released last Thursday, confirms what elders and hunters have been saying, that it’s getting much harder to find caribou there.

Estimates from the early 1990’s put the herd number between 60-thousand to 180 thousand.

more

[Mark]

Study: Number of frogs, toads declining at alarming rate

Frogs, toads and other amphibians are vanishing so fast nationwide that if the decline continues at the same rate, they'll be gone from half their current habitats in 20 years, a federal study has found.

U.S. Geological Survey officials on Wednesday unveiled the study, done over a decade, on 48 species at 34 sites from California to Colorado high-country to Florida swamps.

Federal scientists found that the declines are more widespread and severe than previously thought and that amphibian populations are disappearing at an overall rate of 3.7 percent each year...

...Amphibians "are a good example of the collapse of the world's ecosystems that we seem to be seeing right now," he said. "We're seeing a lot of species in a lot of places declining at the same time."

Read more: Study: Number of frogs, toads declining at alarming rate - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23301388/study-frog-toad-populations-declining-even-rocky-mountain#ixzz2UUZAaJgO

[Psalm 51:17]

Hundreds of dead fish reported at Rocky Fork Lake
5/24/13
http://fayetteadvocate.com/archives/9819/2013/05/24/hundreds-of-dead-fish-reported-at-rocky-fork-lake/

With buzzards circling overhead, the stench of dead and decaying white bass permeated a small boat dock on the eastern edge of Rocky Fork Lake Thursday morning.

At a cove just off McCoppin Mill Road, hundreds of dead fish dotted the shore line.

Nearby residents Jerry and Sally Hinton contacted The Highland County Press Thursday about the dying fish.

“So far, it’s mostly white bass,” Sally Hinton.

However, a dead bluegill also was sighted floating amid several bass.

“We’ve lived here since 1997, and we’ve never seen anything like it,” Jerry Hinton said.

Paint Township Trustee Randy Mustard said he became aware of the situation Wednesday evening after receiving a call from Mrs. Hinton.

“That was the first I’ve heard about it,” Mustard said.

Mustard added that that particular cove, just below Wood Street, attracts a lot of debris due to the typical wind direction.

Inspections at other popular lake areas – including Blinko Cove and North Beach – also revealed a number of dead fish either floating near the shore or washed up from the lake.

Fishermen at Blinko Cove told The Highland County Press Thursday morning that they noticed a few dead bass last week, but many more in the past 24 hours.

“It could be a virus related to that particular species,” one angler suggested.

Another fisherman had four good-sized crappies in a basket that were still full of life. He said he planned to clean them and eat them, in spite of the dead white bass floating around him.

Kathy Garza-Behr of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources/Division of Wildlife District Five Office said that they were looking into the matter, and that fish kills are “not unusual” when there are extreme temperature or water level changes. As of late Thursday afternoon, ODNR officers were at the lake doing initial testing.

“They’ve checked multiple sites and got fish on each site, and they are actively engaged in trying to find a source,” Garza-Behr said.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2013/05/breton_sound_guide_videos_phot.html
Breton Sound guide videos, photographs massive bull redfish kill
5/24/13

Breton Sound is in the midst of one of the best bull redfish runs in recent memory, but Capt. Markham ****son is wondering how long it will last after what he saw last week.

****son, a guide out of Campo's Marina in Shell Beach, was cruising up from the heart of Breton Sound after a successful trip to the main Central Rig when he came across a rip line. These collections of foam and debris are commonplace in Louisiana's salty bays and sounds, most often marking profound changes in current or salinity.

This rip line was thick and holding together well, and it caught ****son's eye because it contained a number of dead redfish. That's not uncommon, but ****son continued moving north along the line and saw even more floating bull-red corpses.

"This happens every year. Every summer there are a bunch of dead bull reds out there, but I've never seen it like this," he said.

****son decided to turn on his GoPro camera while he ran to show the carnage. The number of dead fish boggled his mind and angered him.

"It ran all the way from Central to the end of the long rocks (at the mouth of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet)," he said. "You'd go down one rip line, and you'd think that'd be it, and then you'd see another rip line. They were just stacked up in those rips."

Although ****son didn't see any commercial boats fishing for menhaden -- called pogies by anglers -- that day, he said he's seen enough dead redfish bycatch coming off the pogie boats over the years that he's certain that's what caused the kill.

"I've counted a couple hundred (dead redfish) before around the pogie boats, but this was thousands of fish," he said. "It was mostly redfish, but it was some gafftops too. It's no coincidence that the bull reds and gafftops are what are eating those pogies.

"When a redfish grows up and leaves the marsh, he stops eating crabs and shrimp and starts eating fish. Trout do the same thing. You go offshore, and you can catch a big trout on a croaker, but you fish croakers in the marsh, you're not going to catch many trout."

****son said he doesn't begrudge the pogie fishers or the way they earn their living.

"When I see them, it's actually a good sign because I know I'm in the area where the bait is," he said.

But he's got deep concerns about the future of redfish populations in the state when that many fish are wasted as bycatch. Compounding the problem, in ****son's view, is the fact that a main forage of bull redfish is being actively removed throughout the summer.

"All these fish that are being killed weren't going to be kept by recreational fishermen," he said. "You're killing a huge amount of your breeding stock, and you're also taking out the base, underlying food chain.

"If you're taking out the fish that are your spawners, and you're taking out their food, it just seems dangerous. How long would it take recreational anglers to kill that many bull reds?"

****son said the bull-redfish action in Breton Sound this spring has been epic.

"This year, there are a lot of bull reds out there. There are more than I've caught in a long time," he said. "We usually catch bull reds out there in the early spring when we're fishing drum and sheepshead. We'll catch a few bull reds, but this year, every rig out there is covered up in bulls.

"I think that's why so many of them got killed because there are more in the sound this year for whatever reason."

****son knows he'll see dead bycatch again, but he hopes it's never at that extreme level in the future.

"It's just horrible," he said. "I was just shaking my head the whole time. It's horrific."

[Psalm 51:17]

Irondequoit Bay fish die-off caused by disease
5/28/13
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130528/NEWS01/305280046?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

After saying the death of countless fish in Irondequoit Bay this spring was due to a natural seasonal phenomenon, New York environmental officials reversed course Tuesday and said an infectious fish disease is to blame.

The disease, known as viral hemorrhagic septicemia or VHS, does not pose a threat to humans or other mammals, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

But it has killed a large number of gizzard shad, white perch, yellow perch and drum in the bay, the DEC said in a statement. No mortality numbers were released, but from witness accounts, the number is in the thousands.

Walter Burack of Rochester was kayaking in Ellison Creek near Empire Boulevard in early May and saw what he termed a “massive” die-off.

“These fish were behaving incredibly bizarrely. Honestly, the number of dead fish and their odd circular swimming at the surface was so striking that I told my son at the time that this might be 'fish plague' " he said.

The die-off began in late April, according to the DEC and to residents along Irondequoit Bay and along Ellison Creek, which feeds the bay from the south.

The DEC asked anglers to avoid spreading VHS to other bodies of water by not taking fish, including bait, from the bay to other bodies of water; by cleaning the hull, motor, propeller, trailer and other gear of any boat before leaving the bay; and by disinfecting the live well, bilge and bait tanks with a 10 percent solution of bleach.

VHS was first documented in the Great Lakes when it caused a large die-off in Lake Ontario in 2005. Since then, it has been blamed for mass deaths of fish in a number of Finger and Great lakes, according to the DEC.

The virus cannot make humans sick, but it does affect many different species of fish.

When the DEC was asked about the die-off in early March, the agency said it was due to spring water-temperature changes and other environmental stresses.

[Psalm 51:17]

OIE Reports Nine HPAI Outbreaks in Six Provinces Across Nepal
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/29058/oie-reports-nine-hpai-outbreaks-in-six-provinces-across-nepal
5/28/13

NEPAL - The Nepalese veterinary authorities have reported nine further outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at various farms located in Seti, Mechi, Bagmati, Lumbini, Narayani and Gandaki, affecting broilers, backyard chickens, egg layers, ducks and a house crow (Corvus splendens) also known as Corvidae.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received follow-up report no. 8, stating that out of 122334 susceptible birds, 42653 cases and deaths were reported. The remaining 79681 birds were destroyed. The house crow was also reportedly found dead.

According to the OIE, the birds showed respiratory distress, nervous signs and all affected birds died. Cleaning and disinfection activities in the infected premises are completed. Intensive surveillance activities are ongoing throughout the country.

The source of the outbreaks remains inconclusive.

[Psalm 51:17]

Hypoxia MOJIANG 1177 tons of fish killed hundreds of people dead fish fishing river shuttle [Figure]
5/26/13
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.yninfo.com%2Fyn%2Fshxw%2F201305%2Ft20130526_2062623.htm&act=url

As of 9:30 last night, statistics, Mojiang County Sinan River reservoir cage aquaculture 1,177 tons of fish have died, killed 3.6 million fish, these fish from 86 farmers, economic losses of more than 1300 yuan.  A farmers told reporters, so they have suffered significant losses due to "power plant without prior notice to carry out drainage, the water level dropped after the hypoxic fish." Mojiang county government said that the current focus is to rescue fish to maximize reduce losses fishermen, as well as carry out environmental work on the dead fish timely manner.

more

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/3dd0deac7e6f4a2e9d01c15f205772da/AR--Fish-Kill-Crappie
5/26/13
Spawning 'stress' cited for deaths of crappie

TEXARKANA, Arkansas — Fish biologists say spawning stress created by "crazy weather" is the cause of the deaths of several hundred crappie in De Queen Lake in southwestern Arkansas.

A fish kill was reported to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission on April 21, when crappie were dying on the banks of the lake, Southwest Region District 7 Supervisor Eric Brinkman told the Texarkana Gazette (http://bit.ly/14T6ORW ) for a story published Sunday.

"It was spawning stress. They were spawning during the crazy weather pattern where it was hot and then a period of cold. It was uncommon only crappie were dying this early in spring. It was spawning stress and a secondary infection," Brinkman said.

"Fish kills are not uncommon for crappie. This was unusual for being early in the spring," Brinkman said.

Brinkman said a fish pathologist needed to analyze crappie in the process of dying — not dead ones — so it caused a delay in finding out why the fish died.

"We finally found enough crappie dying so we could examine them," he said.

What they found, Brinkman said, was an infection: "It was a fungal infection on the gills leading to the deaths. It was such a severe infection, and they were not able to breathe while spawning."

Brinkman estimated the number of dead crappie, a popular fish among anglers, to be several hundred. He said there is no concern about the safety for human consumption of those that are being caught from the lake.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jun/04/sea-lions-seaworld-strandings-pups/
4/4/13

Sea lion strandings pass 1,500 mark

Wildlife rehabilitation centers have rescued more than 1,550 sea lion pups along Calfornia’s coast during this record year of strandings, but the number of new cases seems to be tapering off.

SeaWorld, a prime intake facility for these pups, has between 70 and 80 sea lions in its care these days. That’s down from nearly 200 at the height of the crisis in March, spokesman Dave Koontz said. The marine-themed park’s rehabilitation center is taking in about three to five pups per week, he said, down from more than 10 per day at the peak.

Since January, SeaWorld has rescued about 340 stranded pups, Koontz said. Most of these emaciated and dehydrated animals are found right at the coast, but a few have reached places such as a hotel, a resident’s garage and the middle of a busy road.

In March, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared a “marine mammal unusual mortality event” for California, in response to stranding rates that were nearly three times higher than the historical average.

“The number of admits to rehab in recent weeks has definitely been much less than it was at the height of the event in March,” said Sarah Wilken, marine mammal stranding coordinator for the agency. “But there are still a lot of animals in the centers that are in need of care.”

At SeaWorld, stranded sea lions receive hydration and nutritional treatment, along with medical care, before being released back to the wild after a few weeks or months. About 10 percent to 15 percent of the pups treated at the park’s rehab center this year have become stranded again and required a second rescue, Koontz said.

“Some of them just need a little bit more help,” he said.

Scientists believe that population changes among squid and small fish — primary sources of food for sea lions — may have triggered the strandings as newly weaned pups struggled to find scarce prey. They’re analyzing data about food supplies and certain diseases in their quest to pinpoint the leading cause of this year’s unusual toll.

“There are some early indications, but the answers are going to be better in July, after this year’s pups are born,” Wilken said. “For the moment, everyone’s grateful for the breather. But we’re not yet saying that it’s over.”

[Psalm 51:17]

Endangered elephant killings rising in Indonesia
6/4/13
http://www.newsdaily.com/environment/26bf14676cb7249e1e639d81f91e187c/endangered-elephant-killings-rising-in-indonesia

Killings of endangered elephants are rising in Indonesia as authorities fail to stop poaching

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Poisoning or shooting killed many of the 129 critically endangered elephants that have died on Indonesia's Sumatra island in less than a decade, highlighting weak enforcement of laws against poaching, an environmental group says.

WWF Indonesia said killings of Sumatran elephants are on the rise, with 29 either shot or poisoned last year, including 14 in Aceh province. The group said Tuesday that no one has been convicted or jailed in the deaths that were counted in Riau province since 2004.

The report came three days after two dead Sumatran elephants were found near a paper plantation in Riau, allegedly poisoned by poachers. Another elephant was killed last month near Tesso Nilo national park and its tusks were hacked off. An autopsy found a plastic detergent wrapper in its belly filled with poison.

The group said 59 percent of the dead elephants were definitely poisoned, 13 percent were suspected to have been poisoned, and 5 percent were killed by gunshots. Others died from illness or other causes, or the reason for their death was unknown.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the animals as "critically endangered" after their numbers dropped to between 2,400 and 2,800 from an estimated 5,000 in 1985. Environmentalists say the elephants could be extinct within three decades unless they are protected.

The decline is largely due to destruction of their habitat. Forests across Sumatra are being logged for timber, palm oil, and pulp and paper.

Sumatra has some of the most significant populations of Asian elephants outside of India and Sri Lanka and is also home to tigers, orangutans and rhinos.

"Effective action on the ground should be taken immediately to protect Sumatran elephants from extinction, especially in Riau," the report said. There are about 300 elephants left in Riau, which is part of Sumatra island.

Achmad Saeroji, head of the government conservation agency in Riau, denied the allegation of lax law enforcement, saying at least eight cases have been handled by authorities recently.

"We always investigate every case of elephants found dead," he said. "But it is hard to capture the perpetrators, either because of late reports or the fear of people to report the poachers, who work in a network."

Indonesia's elephants sometimes venture into populated areas searching for food. They destroy crops or attack humans, making them unpopular with villagers. Some are shot or poisoned with cyanide-laced fruit, while others are killed by poachers for their ivory.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.valleynewslive.com/story/22514810/hundreds-of-dead-carp-showing-up-in-jamestown
Hundreds of Dead Carp Showing Up in Jamestown, North Dakota
6/5/13

Anglers and those who live along the Jamestown Reservoir are seriously concerned by what they are seeing wash up along the shore.

Hundreds of dead carp are appearing, and North Dakota Game and Fish biologists are stumped as to why.

Living on the east side of the reservoir, Jim Schmitt has seen his fair share of fish, but what he sees now is strange to him. "The darndest thing. They were so high on the water, and it looked like they were gasping for air," says Schmitt.

He has also been seeing dead ones floating near shore.

His concerns are the concerns of many who have been vocal to the Game and Fish Department. Fisheries Biologist BJ Kratz says he first started noticing signs of the fish kill as the ice came off, but then he started getting reports that the carp seemed sluggish.

"It's not typical for carp because carp are usually pretty active this time of year and are also easy to spook and reactive when people approach them," says Kratz.

The carcasses also continue to pile up.

Kratz says, "At this point it looks, it's definitely in the hundreds, if not thousands."

Kratz says there is extra stress on the carp this time of year as they breed, making them more susceptible to disease. It is pertinent for biologists to figure out what disease.

"Anytime something like this happens our concern is with our game fish that we manage, and for, to make sure none of those would be affected."

A team came from Bismarck to take samples to send them to the Fish Health Center in Bozeman, Montana. Kratz says they could be looking at an Asian or European virus. He says, "It is rather uncommon to this region, and it hasn't been documented in North Dakota."

But that is all speculation. For now, the only thing that can be done is wait for the results. The results of the testing should be available by late next week.

[Psalm 51:17]

Four dead whales baffle expert
http://www.3news.co.nz/Four-dead-whales-baffle-expert/tabid/1160/articleID/300542/Default.aspx
6/7/13

Scientists are baffled at what might have killed four whales which washed up over two days on a certain section of a West Coast beach.

All four whales were dead when they washed up at the weekend, and all belonged to different species.

The first was a 6-metre long Cuvier's beaked whale which washed up on Saturday morning at Greymouth's Cobden Beach. It is on the list of threatened species.

Later that day, a huge 15-metre long Sperm whale washed up on the beach at the end of Serpentine Rd, just 14 km south of where the Cuvier's beaked whale was discovered.

On Sunday, a 2-metre long juvenile long-finned pilot whale was discovered on Westport's North Beach, followed by a 3-metre long pigmy sperm whale in the same area.

Department of Conservation marine mammal scientist Don Neale says a quadruple dead-stranding within 48 hours is something he's never heard of before.

"It's certainly unusual and it may just be coincidence," he says. "There were some major storms at sea - that's the only likely reason I can see at the moment."

Necropsies of the whales are unlikely so the individual causes of death will probably remain unknown.

Local iwi Ngati Waiwai has removed the jawbone of the Sperm whale and the remains will be buried on the beach this week.

The jawbone of the Cuvier's beaked whale has been stolen without permission from the iwi or the Department of Conservation and an investigation is underway to find the alleged thief.


Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Four-dead-whales-baffle-expert/tabid/1160/articleID/300542/Default.aspx#ixzz2VySBIJ8h

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/long-winter-eyed-in-deaths-of-quartz-lake-fish/article_1ee0a0ca-cdb1-11e2-b7b2-001a4bcf6878.html
Long winter eyed in deaths of Quartz Lake fish(Alaska)
6/5/13

FAIRBANKS — When the ice finally disappeared on Quartz Lake on Sunday, a scary and depressing sight appeared — rotting, chalk-white fish carcasses littering the shore and shallows.
 
It appears the Interior’s most popular sport fishery experienced a massive winter die-off that left hundreds, if not thousands, of dead rainbow trout and arctic char in the 1,500-acre lake about 80 miles southeast of Fairbanks.

“You go around the lake in the shallows, and you see one whitened carcass after another,” said Dean Seibold, who lives on the lake and rents boats to fishermen each summer.

Seibold said he traveled about two miles around the six-mile circumference of the lake and saw hundreds of dead fish. Other boaters reported the same scene along the back side of the lake, he said.

Officials at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks started getting reports of dead fish frozen in the ice last week from cabin owners around the lake and suspected there had been a winter die-off, said Tom Taube, sport fish research supervisor. In addition, ice fishermen had been reporting low catch rates for the past month or two, he said.

The magnitude of the die-off, however, didn’t become apparent until the ice went out last weekend, he said.

Biologists don’t know how many fish died or how many are left in the lake, Taube said. As of Tuesday, no biologist has been to the lake to survey the situation.

“It’s pretty broad to say it’s total mortality,” Taube said. “It was a fairly large number of fish that died because based on reports by fishermen nobody has caught much in the winter ice fishery in the past couple of months.”

Earl Malcom, 72, is one of those fishermen. Malcom has been fishing Quartz Lake for 40 years. Seeing dead fish scattered along the shoreline that he usually fishes each spring was tough to take, he said.

“I looked at ’em laying there and cried,” Malcom said. “It’s a sad, sad thing.”

Winterkill

suspected

While no tests have been done to see exactly what killed the fish, Taube said it’s almost certain it was lack of oxygen, which he attributed to the long winter that kept thick ice on the lake longer than normal. He called it “the perfect storm of conditions.”

The longer the ice stays on the lake, the more the light penetrates the ice, resulting in the growth of plankton under the ice during the daylight hours, he said. That produces an oxygen deficit at night. In addition, the light triggers the decomposition of last year’s vegetation, which also requires oxygen.

“It’s just competing with the fish for oxygen,” Taube said.

Once the ice is gone, the water begins moving and replenishes the oxygen level in the lake, he said.

Quartz Lake has had similar winterkills in the past but nothing as large scale as what was seen this week, Taube said.

“Based on the past history of Quartz Lake, we’re pretty certain this is winterkill,” Taube said. “If it had been a parasite or bacteria, it wouldn’t have done it just in the wintertime; we would have seen it in the summertime.

“If there was something unique to this case, we’d be pursuing looking for something else,” he said.

Judging from a picture he saw, the dead fish “look like they’ve been dead for a while,” he said. As a result, it’s impossible to determine what killed them because the fish are loaded with bacteria and other organisms.

Plans to restock

The department plans to restock the lake three times this summer with approximately 20,000 catchable-size rainbow trout and arctic char. The first load of 6,000 fish was dumped into the lake Tuesday.

“It’s not a good situation, but it’s nothing that means we have to stop stocking it now unless it’s a recurring event,” Taube said. “We’ll keep an eye on it next year. If it happens repetitively for a couple of  years, we might have to refigure how we deal with Quartz Lake.”

Some old-timers like Malcom questioned why Fish and Game doesn’t use aerators to pump oxygen into the lake to prevent die-offs like they do in other states such as Minnesota. Taube said using aerators weakens ice because it creates circulation, which creates a safety concern with people driving on the ice. It’s also expensive because it requires electricity.

“Aerators have been talked about in other parts of the state, but it’s not an area we want to go,” Taube said.

The sight of dead fish littering the shores of the lake, some of which were 24 inches or bigger, is one that Seibold has a hard time justifying, though.

“It’s just a crime that all those big fish are gone,” he said.

While Fish and Game began restocking the lake with catchable-size fish in the 9- to 12-inch range on Tuesday, anglers won’t be pulling any lunkers out of the lake for a couple of years, Taube said.

“There will be fish in the lake, but it just won’t be a trophy fishery that it was,” he said. “People can expect catch rates to be down this year. Definitely the density of fish is down with this kind of winterkill.”

Given time, however, fishing should return to normal, Taube said.

“Quartz Lake is pretty productive,” he said. “As long as it doesn’t winterkill for few years, we’ll be back to where we were.”

As of Tuesday, Taube said he hasn’t heard of winterkills in any other lakes around the area.

[Psalm 51:17]

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130605/news-current-affairs/article/protests-rise-against-firm-over-fish-deaths
6/5/13
Protests rise against firm over fish deaths(India)

Kochi: While the expert committee report on fish dying in large numbers in  the Chalakudy River has not yet  been released,  public protest is mounting against the Nitta Jelatin Company, accusing it of letting untreated effluents from its plant in Kathikkudam into the river and causing the deaths.

The Nitta Gelatin India Limited Action Council, which has been spearheading the agitation against alleged disposal of untreated effluents from the plant  into the river, has intensified its protest since the fish deaths were reported. And people of  the five panchayats  of Puthanve­likara,  Annamanada, Kadukutty, Kuzhoor and Parakkadavu  went on hartal on Tuesday  protesting against the  pollution of the Chalakudy river.

“The legislators, Pollution Control Board officials and Kerala Water Authority (KWA) are being apathetic in dealing with this serious problem. If stringent measures are not taken to prevent further pollution of the river, several panchayats of the two districts will be hit by drinking water scarcity,”said M.P Shajan, member of Puthan­velikara panchayat. But according to initial reports of the state Pollution Control Board, effluents from the plant may not have led to the  fish dying in the river.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.mynews4.com/news/story/Officials-investigate-mystery-foam-at-Lake-Mead/Dszle60duk-yR8bSmzvLhg.cspx
Officials investigate mystery foam at Lake Mead(Nevada)
6/10/13

BOULDER CITY, Nev. (AP) — Authorities are warning people to avoid a section of Lake Mead after park officials found dead carp and a mysterious foam there.

Park spokeswoman Christie Vanover says the mysterious fish deaths and foam were found in the Overton Arm, where the lake extends north. She says the foam appeared to be coming from the mouth of the Virgin River and stretched about eight miles down to Echo Bay.

Officials said over the weekend that the Southern Nevada Water Authority is working with the National Park Service to collect water samples.

The authority is also keeping track of water at its two water treatment facilities to ensure the quality meets the federal standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://www.navhindtimes.in/goa-news/dead-fish-found-lying-velsao-storm-water-drain
Dead fish found lying in Velsao storm water drain
Published on: June 8, 2013 - 01:39 

Dead fish lying on the surface of water at Dando-Mollo in Velsao.  (Sudesh Bhosle)

VASCO: A large quantity of fish and some other marine life has been found lying dead in a storm water drain which is connected to the Arabian sea at Dando-Mollo in the village panchayat area of Velsao-Pale-Issorcim.

According to information received from villagers, they noticed the dead fish and other aquatic creatures floating on the surface of water since Tuesday evening and the quantity increased by Wednesday, leading to a stench in the vicinity of the storm water drain, which is also traditionally known as poi by the villagers.
 
Speaking to The Navhind Times, Mr Tito Britto, a resident of Pale village, said that the incident of fish and other aquatic creatures lying dead in the Dando-Mollo storm water drain is witnessed every year with the onset of monsoon. He further alleged that the dead fish could be a result of the discharge of chemicals into the Arabian sea by a factory located at Birla, Zuarinagar.

“A large number of fish and other aquatic creatures is killed every year during the breeding season due to the alleged discharge of factory chemicals,” said Mr Britto and further pointed out that despite the collection of samples of the contaminated water by the officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) in the previous years, nothing has been revealed yet about the reports.

He also claimed that the officials of the GSPCB are yet to disclose the reason behind the death of the fish and marine life on a large scale every year during this time.

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