November 20, 2015 - FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - A massive fish kill on Sanibel Island could keep beachgoers out of the water and off of the sand.
Before walking out on the beach at Gulfside City Park Wednesday night,
you could certainly smell that something fishy was going on as thousands of dead fish have washed ashore.
When Erin Neitzlt and her friend Joyce Nardo made their way to the Gulfside Beach, they were looking for a little getaway.
"I just like the sea air. It smells good out here, listening to the
waves. It's a good way to relax out here and beat some stress," said
Neitzlt. "To relax, hear the waves, I love it here."
They likely didn't expect to find thousands of dead fish strewn across the beach, which could likely be the result of red tide.
The latest reports released Wednesday by Florida Fish and Wildlife
indicate the algae bloom, which is common in November, has made its way
to Southwest Florida.
WATCH: Sanibel crews begin clearing fish kill carnage.
"It's a little fishy, but it's refreshing," said Joice Nardo.
Fish kills can also be caused by sudden increase or decrease in water
temperatures, as some fish species are sensitive to these types of
environmental changes.
Erin and Joyce aren't letting a few fish kill their moonlit relaxation time on the beach.
"When I heard what was going on, it didn't make a difference. I still
put my chair right here in the sand so I can listen to the waves," said
Neitzlt.
"It doesn't matter what's on the beach, I'm just going to listen to the waves and smell the ocean air."
NBC2 has made calls in to several local marine life experts to confirm
exactly what caused all these fish to wash up dead here on the beach. - NBC.
Water in a basin in Fuente Encalada (Zamora) was stained red by the algae Haematococcus pluvialis, brought by the rain. Credit: Joaquín Pérez
November 15, 2015 - SPAIN - Residents of several villages in northwest Spain received an unpleasant
surprise last fall, when they noticed that the water in their fountains
had turned a gory shade of red. The tint wasn't left behind by a guilty
murderer's bloody hands, but rather by microscopic algae that arrived
in a recent rainfall.
But at the time, no one knew what had caused their pristine reservoirs
to suddenly resemble grisly crime scenes. Speculation ran rampant,
blaming everything from contaminants dropped from airplanes to biblical
plagues (a similar "blood rain" episode in Kerala, India, in 2001
sparked suggestions that the rain had extraterrestrial origins). Joaquín
Pérez, who lived nearby, decided to collect rainwater to see if he
could detect the culprit, according to a statement by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology.
Over the next several months, Pérez gathered samples, noticing
particles in the water that stained it red. He sent the samples to
researchers at the University of Salamanca, where they confirmed in a
study that the "blood rain" was teeming with microscopic freshwater
algae called Haematococcuspluvialis, which produce a red pigment when they're stressed. Bacteria in the Chromatiaceae family may have caused similarly blood-red water in a Texas lake in 2011.
Scientists were surprised to see H.pluvialis, which
is common in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere — particularly in
North America and along Europe's Atlantic coastlines — but is
practically nonexistent in that part of Spain. "So, they must be coming
from some other place," said geologist Javier Fernández-Lozano,
co-author of the study. Analysis of weather data suggests that the algae
could have hitchhiked to western Spain on the winds, but, for the
present, the origins of this bloodbath are still unknown.
The finding was published Sept. 21 in the Spanish Royal Society of Natural History Journal, and can be accessed on Researchgate. - Live Science.
April 14, 2015 - EARTH - Indeed, the natural world presents some of the most unlikely sights the
universe has to offer - so unlikely, in fact, that photographs of them
could lead the skeptical to believe that the images have been
manipulated on a computer. Such is possibly the case with these stunning
pink lakes.
The unusually colored bodies of water appear utterly surreal, as if
someone has poured a huge vat of pink food coloring into them. However,
they're actually a completely natural phenomenon- something that only adds to the awe experienced upon first viewing them.
One such watery phenomenon certainly surprised 19th-century British
explorer Matthew Flinders, who was also a renowned navigator and
hydrographer - a scientist concerned with bodies of water. Flinders
landed the Investigator off Middle Island in Western Australia's Recherche Archipelago
in early 1802. After climbing the island's highest peak - now named
after him - Flinders looked down to see a "small lake of a rose color;"
this was something so incredible that Flinders made note of it in the
first volume of his book A Voyage to Terra Australis. Flinders afterward dubbed the waters Lake Hillier, in memory of a crew member of the Investigator who had succumbed to dysentery.
Today, passing airline travelers are afforded especially
stunning views of the almost 2,000-foot-long lake, with many folks
likely struck by the contrast between the abundantly green trees that
surround it and the unmistakably pink water.
Unlike the case with other pink lakes, the precise reason for Lake Hillier's rosy hue has not been determined.
However, it's suggested that - as with many of its pink cousins across
the globe - the body of water owes its brilliant coloring to one thing
in particular: algae.
More specifically, an algae known as Dunaliella salina is thought to often provide this unusual coloring. This microorganism
is at home in a saline environment, such as that provided by several of
the pink lakes. Dunaliella salina's unmistakable reddish
pigment takes in the sun's rays in order to generate energy - and this
process, in turn, results in the surrounding water appearing pink.
Another theory for the phenomenon pinpoints archaea called Halobacteria. Much like Dunaliella salina, these microbes prosper in salty settings and when flourishing lend a rosy color to their liquid environments.
Interestingly, though, neither of these theories hold true at Dusty Rose Lake in British Colombia, Canada, as it is not particularly saline and nor is it full of Halobacteria or Dunaliella salina. Instead, the lake gets its strawberry tint from the one-off configuration of the surrounding rocks.
Lake Retba
is certainly among West Africa's more unusual attractions. Indeed,
until recently it was the last stop on the famous Dakar Rally; Senegal's
capital is only some 20 miles southwest of the pink lake. Aside from
being a place of interest, though, Retba is also one of industrious hard
work: approximately 3,000 workersexcavate salt at the lake before the mineral is shipped far and wide.
These salt "fishermen" rub shea butter on their skin to protect
themselves from the potentially harmful effects of prolonged salt water
exposure. And theup to 40 percent saltcontent of the lake is also a bonus for visiting tourists, as it offers them the rare chance to effortlessly float on water.
With glorious blue sky overhead and piles of white salt along the shore
of a sea of pink, the scene at Lake Retba is akin to something from Alice in Wonderland. Still, far from fantasy, the work the salt miners carry out is difficult.
Many miners spend up to twelve hours, day in, day out, scratching the
base of the lake with canes to extract the mineral. After loosening the
salt, the workers jump into the water, scooping the fruits of their
labor up into their boats. Then, once the "catch" is back on shore, it's
examined before being vended for approximately $50 a ton. The salt is
also used to keep seafood from spoiling.
Somewhat perversely, it has been said that mining the lake actually helps to protect it. Because of its high salinity, the water is prone to evaporating faster.
By regularly taking salt out, then, the lake is less likely to
disappear. Indeed, natives believe that Lake Retba would have long since
vanished had mining operations not begun in earnest.
The surreal, almost otherworldly nature of pink lakes might lead to the
assumption that they're rare wonders that only the most intrepid
explorer is rewarded with seeing. And to a certain extent this is true;
theMasazir Lake in Azerbaijan and Canada's Dusty Rose Lake, for instance, are among the less accessible of these extraordinary bodies of water.
In strikingly more urban surroundings, though, are Las
Salinas de Torrevieja - Europe's largest salt lakes, which are to be
found perched beside the Spanish coastal city of Torrevieja.
Interestingly, this pair of pink lakes also result in the area having an
unusually healthy microclimate, according to the World Health
Organization: a relative abundance of salt combined with balmy
temperatures means particularly pleasant weather conditions.
Furthermore, although the salt content in the Spanish lakes is too high
for most marine life, the water bodies do nevertheless contain brine
shrimp in addition to salt-loving microorganisms. This hasn't impacted
on the lakes' moneymaking potential, though; salt extraction has been
taking place at Las Salinas de Torrevieja since the 1300s and continues
today.
What's more, there is plenty of wildlife to be enjoyed around the Las
Salinas de Torrevieja area. In fact, as many as 2,000 flamingos have
been spotted in the surrounding nature reserve, and countless other bird
and animal species are present, too.
As a rule, these strawberry-colored wonders are relatively rare, with only a few of them known worldwide. And those lucky enough to come across them should remember that, as delicious as they may look, they're saltier than the sea. - Scribol.
March 7, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.
20 TONS+ of dead fish wash ashore along the coast of Montevideo, Uruguay
The director of the Division of Clean explained that there are still areas where additional copies is on the rocks,
because the machine does not have access and personal needs
The
Municipality of Montevideo (IMM) up 20 tons of dead fish on Thursday
and will continue with the cleanup on the shores of Montevideo, he told
The Observer director of the Division of Cleanliness IM, Andrés
Martirena.
On Thursday morning appeared in the Montevideo coast
hundreds of dead fish floating in the water. The situation drew the
attention of the authorities of the National Directorate of Aquatic
Resources (Dinara), who sent a group of technicians who ran the
promenade from the center to the Arroyo Carrasco and a significant
amount of spice known as Lacha was observed.
"Since yesterday
being cleaned beaches with machinery, we collect some 20 tons of rotting
fish from Pajas Blancas to Paso Carrasco," said Martirena.
In
turn, explained that they were "hostages tide" which hampered a little
more work and that the equipment normally used in season had to add a
blade longer to perform the task.
"The more time passes the worse. Luckily there were fish with certain hardness and could lift well, "he said.
Furthermore,
since the division was requested will monitor the situation from the
air to see if in the coming days could expect a new wave of these dead
birds. "Being dead animals float and told us that no other can be seen
offshore, so do not come closer to the coast," he said.
The work
culminated in the coast of Pocitos and Buceo and the director explained
that the places where there are still plenty of fish is on the rocks
where machinery can not access. "You have to take with officials with
the clothes and the right tools. That takes more time, "he said.
As
for the causes that explain the appearance of dead fish from the Dinara
is "ruled it an issue of pollution" and favors the theory that they
were thrown into the sea as a ship discard. - El Observador. [Translated]
600 TONS of dead fish due to algae in fish farms in the east of Singapore
Dead fish due to red tide at a Pasir Ris fish farm. (Photo: Frank Tan, Marine Life Aquaculture)
Up to 600 tonnes of fish belonging to 55 farms have been lost to algal bloom in recent days, said the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority on Thursday (Mar 5).
Issuing its first comments on the algal bloom since last Saturday, the authority said last year’s plankton bloom cost 53 farms about 500 tonnes of fish.
The AVA also said it would help the affected fish farmers - who operate off Pasir Ris in the East Johor Strait - to recover and restart their operations, and enhance their resilience to environmental challenges.
AVA’s media statement and replies to queries came after Minister of State for National Development Mohamad Maliki Osman visited two affected fish farms today. One of the farmers he visited, Mr Gary Chang, told TODAY via the phone that he managed to minimise his losses to just over a tonne - or 10 to 15 per cent of his fish - by moving half of his stocks to the farm of a good friend in Malaysia. He enveloped the remaining half in canvas bags and aerated the water in the bags, said Mr Chang, who rears grouper and sea bass.
Dr Maliki said farmers who suffered severe losses may not have taken measures early enough. “Plankton bloom occurrences are very difficult to prevent, but it is possible to reduce the impact. Whilst we provide assistance to help farmers tide over this difficult period, it is also important for farmers to do their part to take mitigating measures early,” he said. The AVA is looking to build up farmers’ resilience against these incidents, such as through robust contingency plans and contingency exercises. It will also ask farmers who have taken early action to share their experience with other farmers, Dr Maliki added.
Farmers reported the bulk of deaths to have occurred in the pre-dawn hours last Saturday, and many dead wild fish also washed up on Pasir Ris beach over the weekend. TODAY reported on Wednesday that a laboratory test had identified the algae species to belong to the Gymnodinium group, but AVA said its preliminary findings point to the Karlodinium veneficum species, which has been associated with fish kills worldwide.
According to website algaebase.org, the Karlodinium veneficum has been detected in places including France, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and is known to produce karlotoxin, an agent responsible for fish kills. According to Western Australia’s Swan River Trust, there is no evidence that this species is toxic to humans.
The AVA said the dead fish had gill damage caused by plankton. No marine biotixins have been detected in fish samples from affected farms and live fish harvested from the farms are safe for consumption, it added.
DHI Water & Environment, which did the laboratory test for TODAY, said that the seawater sample tested was examined at a magnification of 400 times. At that level, species of algae belonging to the Karlodinium and Gymnodinium groups would appear very similar. To be able to positively identify the algae species, a genetic test or a microscope with 1,500 to 2,000 times’ magnification would be needed, said Dr Hans Eikaas, head of environmental technology and chemistry at DHI, a not-for-profit offering consultancy and water-modelling services.
To his knowledge, no Karlodinium algae has been found in the East Johor Strait, although they have been found in the West Johor Strait, said Dr Eikaas.
Blogger and marine enthusiast Ria Tan reported seeing dead wild and farmed fish at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Extension, which is near the West Johor Strait, on Wednesday afternoon. But West Johor Strait farmer Malcolm Ong said there have been no fish deaths on his farm so far. His staff are on alert during this “dangerous period” and have pumps and aerators on standby, said Mr Ong, chief executive of Metropolitan Fishery Group, which is a major stakeholder in Singapore’s largest marine fish farm, off Lim Chu Kang.
On how it was dealing with plankton bloom in the longer term, the AVA said it has been working with the Tropical Marine Science Institute of the National University of Singapore on plankton bloom studies since last year’s episode. The studies, for the development of effective mitigating solutions, are ongoing, it said.The AVA also called for proposals to design and develop a closed-containment aquaculture system for coastal fish farming last year. It recently awarded the tender to five companies, which will be working on a sustainable option for fish farms to minimise exposure to changes in the environment, such as plankton bloom, said the authority. -
Channel News Asia.
15,000 turkeys dead due to avian flu in Minnesota, United States
Federal agriculture officials have issued warnings after a deadly strain of the bird flu decimated a turkey flock in Minnesota.
The United States Department of Agriculture said a "highly pathogenic" strain of the avian influenza killed 15,000 turkeys in Pope County, Minn. It's the same type of flu that's been infecting wild birds in the Pacific Northwest recently.
The H5N2 strain is considered deadly to foul, but low risk to humans.
"These virus strains can travel in wild birds without them appearing sick. People should avoid contact with sick/dead poultry or wildlife," the USDA said in a written statement.
Workers started noticing dead birds in the turkey flock at the end of February. The virus is passed from bird to bird through fecal matter. The Minnesota Department of Health said four workers who came in contact with the dead birds are being monitored.
The first reported case of this strain appeared in Canada and has since made its way through Oregon, Idaho and Washington, which are all considered part of the Pacific flyaway migratory path.Minnesota produces a majority of turkeys in the U.S., with some 46 million each year.Amy R. Connolly. - Big News Network.
Flocks of rare bohemian waxwing seen in New Hampshire, United States
An
irregular visitor in winter from the far north, several flocks of
Bohemian waxwings have been spotted in the Granite State this past week.
Slightly larger than a cedar waxwing, with a reddish brown under its tail, Bohemian waxwings only come as far south as states which border Canada.
Sightings during the past week included: a flock of 75 near the library in Strafford on Feb. 25 and again on March 1; a flock of over 80behind
Stan's Auto Service Center in Conway on the 26th; a flock of 12 in
Hart's Location on the 27th; a flock of over 150 near the traffic circle
in New London on the 27th and aflock of 209 in the same area on March 1.
Also,a flock of 40 was seen along Route 106 near Sam's Club in Concord on Feb. 28; a flock of 50 along Winona Road in New Hampton on March 1, and a flock of 45 in Hanover on March 2.
These flocks were seen mainly foraging on ornamental fruit tress, or resting nearby. - WMUR.
Thousands of dead fish wash up on beaches in Buenos Aires, Argentina
On the beaches of Santa Teresita and Mar del Tuyú appeared countless dead fishes. No one knows the cause,
but the neighbors are altered by the odor given off. WhatsApp Chronicle.
According to what some neighbors told him Chronicle via WhatsApp this
story comes from earlier this year, but the number began to increase
since February 2nd.Mariano
a lifeguard in the party of the coast said: "It's amazing the amount of
dead fish appeared, someone has to figure this out or at least explain
the reasons why it happened The smell is nauseating, can not be. the beach ".Among the neighbors handle some hypotheses as to why this occurred. The species was found dead on the seashore, is known as "saraca" are
very weak fish which may have affected the constant change in water
temperature and Descents in their oxygen levels.It could also be of fishing vessels are thrown into the sea because they have little commercial value. The
last possible factor considered is the emergence of factory ships
seeking to eliminate the species with bombs in schools because they take
place in networks and unloved. - Cronica. [Translated]
Aggressive badger shuts down hotel in Stockholm, Sweden
A luxury hotel in the Swedish capital was on lockdown early Friday due to "a crazy or stressed-out badger" refusing to let anyone near the door, police said.
Stockholm police said the badger was spotted near the entrance of the Radisson Blu hotel about 5 a.m. Friday
and authorities were called when the animal acted aggressive toward
anyone who attempted to get in or out of the building.
"A crazy or stressed-out badger is preventing the staff and clients at a
major hotel from leaving their cars, and from picking up their bags," a
report on the Stockholm Police website said.
WATCH: Aggressive badger shuts down hotel in Stockholm, Sweden.
The report said police summoned a game warden to the scene, but the
badger was gone by the time the official arrived. The hotel was on
lockdown for about 40 minutes.
"Nightlife in Stockholm is beastly," Albin Naverberg of the Stockholm Police told newspaper DN.
Naverberg said the badger may have been stressed from waking early from
hibernation. He said the animal was likely on the hunt for some food.
The badger apparently has good taste -- the Stockholm hotel was named the "Radisson Blu Hotel of the Year" Friday morning. - UPI.
Cougar captured at Promenade mall in Temecula, California, United States
A
mountain lion that wandered into the Promenade mall parking lot in
Temecula was tranquilized for removal but died shortly after, an
official said.
At least one witness called the Riverside County
Sheriff's Department reporting the lion walking near the Macy's store
early Friday morning, March 6. The sheriff's department called in a Fish
and Wildlife warden who used an air-powered gun to shoot it with a
tranquilizer dart, said Kyle Orr, a spokesman with Fish and Wildlife.
As officials were taking the adult male lion into the wilderness, it died, Orr said.
The cause of death is unknown and a necropsy is planned, but in
general, when an animal dies after being shot with a tranquilizer dart,
the two most common causes are damage done by the needle and a bad
reaction to the drug, Orr said.
The animal was not acting
aggressively but because the area is so densely populated by humans,
removing it was a necessity, he said. How the big cat ended up at the mall is unknown,but the lion appeared a little younger than two years which is an age marked by a case of wanderlust, Orr said.
"At that age, that generally means they're dispersing, looking for their own territory," he said.
Though it's rare for them to get deep into populated areas without being detected,it's not unheard of, he said.
"They're pretty elusive animals and can move pretty stealthily," he said. - The Press-Enterprise.
Hundreds of cattle are dead due to drought in southern Ecuador
Drought leaves losses in Loja
Mangahúrco
dwellers, Cazaderos, Bolaspamba, Heron and Lemons, Canton Zapotillo,
Loja, parishes are concerned about the lack of rain, which caused,
according to them a few times viewed drought.
Carmen Chamba, a
resident of one of these sites, said he lost two cows. "The loss in
agriculture is high, goats almost no longer exist. No how to plant corn
for the animals. Bank we have taken out to buy some corn, but we do not
have how to pay, "he said.
According to farmers in these areas
would be about 120 animals in Mangahúrco, Cazadteros 250 and 400 in
other border areas who have died from drought.
Osman Romero,
president of the parish Board Mangahúrco, seeks help from the
authorities to address the situation, stating that, in the last days the
weather has improved a little, have even flourished guayacanes, but who
knows until when will this improvement.
WATCH: Mass cattle die-off in Ecuador.
One solution would be
digging deep wells, expressed some inhabitants of the border. They also
note that the allocation of credit through Banco de Fomento is
necessary.
Activation of Emerging Operations Committee was held
in early February. "We have prioritized issues such as water supply for
human consumption and livestock production, and humanitarian aid
fodder," said Yuliana Rogel, mayor of Zapotillo.
Meanwhile, the
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries delivered
1,360 cases silage to feed the goats and 27,000 kilograms of grass
cutting for cattle.
The Secretariat Risk Management endowed with
18 tanks reservoirs of 2500 liters. The Ministry of Defense, through the
Armed Forces, provides water daily with a tanker to the sectors
concerned.
The governor of the province, Johanna Ortiz said drought in total are 984 goats and 170 cattle that have died. - El Universo. [Translated]
Thousands of cattle dead due to flooding of the river Ebro in Spain
A dead several feet beef farm. - Photo: JAIME GALINDO
The
public company Serge has already withdrawn more than 7,000 carcasses of
livestock farms of zaragozanas flooded by the rising populations of
Ebro of this week.
In a press release, the Government of Aragon indicates that all day today Twill staff is dedicated to the work of collection.
During the morning were removed 1,400 corpses of Villafranca, Swirls and Nuez de Ebro, to which must be added the 6,000 who have retired in previous days Gallur and Boquiñeni.
It is expected that the remaining 4,000 corpses can be collected in the rest of the day and in any case, is expected to finish the work tomorrow.
The withdrawal is done with heavy machinery and trucks to access the flooded farms.
The main difficulty lies in two farms of Swirls, for the difficult access to the high water level, and to address this situation are being considered various options.
Even has sought the cooperation of Pontoneros Regiment, who this morning has been studying the situation on the ground.
As for live animals throughout the morning a helicopter Department of Agriculture and Environment has transported 10 tons of food, in addition to medication, 700 calves and cows 1,650 exploitation of swirls.
In addition, firefighters Council of Zaragoza have taken food for livestock farms boating Swirls and Heifers.
The Directorate General of Public Health, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Animal Health and the Department of Agriculture, have extreme measures to ensure public health.
Thus, populations where there have been floods and animal deaths has shifted a team of professionals, veterinarians, animal, skilled pathologist food and pharmaceutical safety to discuss the situation on the ground and check the current status of farms livestock and live animals. In addition pharmacists should do in the area every day until further notice bacteriological and microbiological analysis of water. - El Periodico. [Translated]
Thousands of dead fish found in Cabo Frio, Brazil
Fish were found on the morning of Thursday (5) (Photo: Personal Archive)
A team from the Superintendent of State Environmental Institute (INEA) in the region was inspecting the Itajuru Channel and the Passage in Cabo Frio, in the Lakes Region of Rio on the morning of Thursday (5). The move comes after the appearance of a large amount of sardines found on site. Remember that the closed season ended earlier this month, which increases the suspicion disposal of fish due to the devaluation.
According to a statement sent by INEA, due to the prolonged drought that has caused environmental changes, such as high water temperatures and increased salinization, all possibilities are being investigated."During the survey it was found that the dead fish were all species of no commercial value (maromba sardines, slab and colloid), which also causes suspicion disposal.
The INEA will propose a joint operation with the City Department of Environment to monitor and suppress, if caught the practice, which sets environmental crime, "the statement said.The G1 Report also contacted the city to know what will be done about the school. Also note by the Secretariat of the Environment reported that the fish inspection responsibility dead in the water is the IBAMA and the Cabo Frio City Hall will make the fish cleaning as soon as possible. - Globo. [Translated]
Millions of birds killed due to avian flu during past 6 months in South Korea
Rachid H / Flickr cc
South
Korea and Taiwan have destroyed more than 2.7 million poultry in recent
weeks and months in efforts to halt highly pathogenic avian influenza
(HPAI) outbreaks of the H5N8 and H5N2 varieties, according to reports
posted yesterday by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
In
addition, South Vietnam has reported another H5N1 avian flu outbreak,
and low-pathogenicity avian flu (LPAI) H7N7 recently struck a turkey
farm in Germany, according to media and OIE reports.
The latest
outbreaks prolong a string of avian flu episodes that have surfaced this
winter in Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. Last week the World
Health Organization said the diversity and geographic extent of recent
avian flu outbreaks are greater than at any time since the debut of
modern surveillance methods. South Korea cites 65 H5N8 outbreaks
A
South Korean report posted by the OIE yesterday describes 65 H5N8
outbreaks dating all the way from late last September to late January
and involving about 2.6 million poultry. The report profiles 22
stand-alone outbreaks and "outbreak clusters" including from 2 to 13
individual incidents.
The affected sites had a total of 2,589,062
birds, including ducks, chickens, geese, and doves. Only 177 cases, all
fatal, were reported, but all the rest of the birds were destroyed to
stop the virus. Most of the outbreaks were in the southwest and
northwest of the country, with a few in the southeast, according to a
map in the report.
South Korea had widespread H5N8 outbreaks in January and February of 2014, followed by isolated outbreaks in June and July. Taiwan reports H5N2, H5N8 outbreaks
Meanwhile,
Taiwan reported that seven recent H5N2 outbreaks and two H5N8 eruptions
have forced the destruction of about 180,000 poultry, according to two
reports posted by the OIE yesterday. The country has had many H5N2,
H5N8, and H5N3 outbreaks this winter.
The report said the seven
H5N2 outbreaks involved six farms and one abbatoir and killed 29,960 of
177,328 susceptible chickens and geese, prompting the culling of all the
rest. They occurred in the city of Tainan and in Yunlin, Pingtung, and
Changhua counties. Authorities said all farms within 3 kilometers of the
affected ones would be under surveillance for 90 days, among other
precautions.
Taiwan authorities said H5N8 struck a turkey farm in
Tainan and a goose farm in Yunlin County, both in the southwest. The
virus killed 782 of 1,250 turkeys and 613 of 2,500 geese, prompting the
culling of all the rest. Findings in Vietnam and Germany
In
Vietnam, the H5N1 virus hit a poultry farm in the southern province of
Soc Trang, according to a Xinhua report today. Provincial veterinary
officials said more than 1,100 birds were culled, among other response
measures to arrest the virus. The story didn't specify what type of
poultry was affected.
And in Germany, an LPAI H7N7 virus sickened
2,320 of 23,500 turkeys, killing 100 of them, on a farm in the
northwestern state of Lower Saxony, according to an OIE report posted
yesterday. All the rest of the turkeys were destroyed. - CIDRAP.
1,100 Birds killed due to avian flu outbreak in Mekong Delta, Vietnam
The
Department of Preventive Medicine, a part of the Ministry of Health,
yesterday announced an outbreak of A/H5N1 avian flu in a farm at Dai Hai
commune, in Ke Sach District of the Mekong delta province of Soc Trang.
The
provincial Department of Animal Health liaised with the local
government to bury 1,100 two month-old chickens which infected with the
dangerous avian flu virus in the farm and implement measures against the
disease as per the regulation. The
Department of Preventive Medicine said that A/H5N1 avian flu is the
virus causing avian flu amongst chicken in Asia since 2003 and is
plaguing other nations. From 2003 to January 2015, around 777 cases of
bird flu were reported in 16 nations and 428 people succumbed to the
disease (or accounting for 55.1 percent).
Accordingly, the
Department of Preventive Medicine warned people not to eat dead poultry;
farms must be disinfected and people have to wear protective clothes
when contacting with poultry to reduce the risk of transmission. When
a person experiences a symptom of chest pain and breathing problem,
he/she has to go to a nearby medical clinic for examination and
treatment. - Saigon GP Daily.
December 6, 2014 - EARTH -
The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic
animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and
the appearance of rare creatures.
Young adult female was believed to have been pregnant when spotted this summer
A young adult killer whale that washed up on the shores of Vancouver
Island on Thursday has been identified as a member of the endangered
southern resident population.
The whale was discovered by residents in Courtenay who saw it floating in the water and towed it to shore.
A biologist from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans - along with a
whale watching expert - took preliminary samples as well as photos of
the whale's dorsal fin in order to identify it.
The whale was identified as 18-year-old J-32, according to Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal coordinator with the department.
"It really tugs at the heart strings. It's a magnificent animal.
Sixteen feet or so - so it's likely a juvenile. So, it's terrible and we
want to figure out what the cause of death was here and how this animal
died," said Cottrell.
According to the Orca Network J-32,
which was nicknamed Rhapsody, was thought to be in the late stages of
pregnancy last summer due to her wide girth, which was visible when she
breached.
"A necropsy Saturday led by Dr. Stephen Raverty will
reveal if she was indeed pregnant and hopefully will find the cause of
death. She was believed to have died in the past 24 to 48 hours," said
the statement posted by the Orca Network.
There are several
distinct populations of killer whales that visit the waters off the west
coast of British Columbia, but the southern resident population, which
is found off southern Vancouver Island, is listed as endangered with a
population of just 77 animals.
"The loss of J-32 marks the
fourth death of a southern resident orca in 2014. The last surviving
southern resident baby was born in August of 2012," said the statement. -
CBC.
Black bear attack on 68-year-old woman in Heathrow, Florida
A bear attack in Florida on Wednesday night has left a 68-year-old woman injured. According to the Orlando Sentinel,
the incident happened in the town of Heathrow in Central Florida. The
woman who has been attacked has been identified as Jeanne Barber.
The bear attack happened as she was walking her dog near her home.
According to reports, the dog saw the bear first near a construction
dumper nearby and panicked. The terrified dog then yanked at the leash
the woman was holding, causing her to fall to the ground. The bear
quickly reached Jeanne and attacked her. The bear had clamped its jaws
around Barber's arm. Luckily for Barber, she was able to break free and
raise an alarm. The bear, sensing trouble, also fled.
WATCH: Woman walking dog attaced by bear in Lake Mary.
Help arrived soon and Jeanne was taken to the Central Florida Regional
Hospital in Sanford, where she is reportedly out of danger. Her injuries
were not of life-threatening nature, officials from the hospital as
well as the Seminole County Sheriff's Office confirmed.
Barber's attack was the third reported from Seminole County in the past year, according to ABC News.
The bear attack occurred just days after several bears were seen by
people in the area. While some bears were bemused at the human presence,
there were some others who were clearly annoyed and fearful.
The bear attack has also left other people in the region concerned.
According to Mark Schumacher, who has a home under construction just a
few hundred meters from where the bear attack took place, it's a
constant threat.
"What's scary is the bears are around at all times, not just dawn and dusk".
He has three kids under the age of ten and is now concerned about their safety while playing outdoors.
"I think now, once word gets around, people will be very nervous about going out for a jog."
Meanwhile,
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirms that
they had earlier issued warning for residents in the area about
heightened bear activity. The bears are likely to forage for food in
preparation for the winter during these times of the year.
Biologists and officials from the Wildlife commission added that they
have no details on the bear that attacked the woman. They have, however,
set up a trap in an attempt to catch and relocate the bear.
The area where this latest bear attack happened had witnessed several other attacks in
the past, as well. In fact, records from the Orlando Sentinel database
show that nearly 17 nuisance reports were filed within two blocks from
the place where Barber was attacked. - Inquisitr.
Nature bites back: Study shows lethal control of wolf populations increase livestock depredations
Washington
State University researchers have found that it is counter-productive
to kill wolves to keep them from preying on livestock. Shooting and
trapping lead to more dead sheep and cattle the following year, not
fewer.
Writing in the journal PLOS ONE, WSU wildlife biologist Rob Wielgus and data analyst Kaylie Peebles say that, for each wolf killed, the odds of more livestock depredations increase significantly.
The trend continues until 25 percent of the wolves in an area are
killed. Ranchers and wildlife managers then see a "standing wave of
livestock depredations," said Wielgus.
Moreover, he and Peebles
write, that rate of wolf mortality "is unsustainable and cannot be
carried out indefinitely if federal relisting of wolves is to be
avoided."
The gray wolf was federally listed as endangered in
1974. During much of its recovery in the northern Rocky Mountains,
government predator control efforts have been used to keep wolves from
attacking sheep and livestock. With wolves delisted in 2012, sport
hunting has also been used. But
until now, the effectiveness of lethal control has been what Wielgus
and Peebles call a "widely accepted, but untested, hypothesis."
Their study is the largest of its kind, analyzing 25 years of lethal control data
from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Interagency Annual Wolf Reports in
Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. They found that killing one wolf increases
the odds of depredations 4 percent for sheep and 5 to 6 percent for
cattle the following year. If 20 wolves are killed, livestock deaths
double.
Work reported in PLOS ONE last year by Peebles, Wielgus and other WSU colleagues found that lethal
controls of cougars also backfire, disrupting their populations so much
that younger, less disciplined cougars attack more livestock.
Still, Wielgus did not expect to see the same result with wolves.
"I had no idea what the results were going to be, positive or
negative," he said. "I said, 'Let's take a look at it and see what
happened.' I was surprised that there was a big effect."
Wielgus said the wolf
killings likely disrupt the social cohesion of the pack. While an
intact breeding pair will keep young offspring from mating, disruption
can set sexually mature wolves free to breed, leading to an increase in
breeding pairs.As they have pups, they become bound to one place and can't hunt deer and elk as freely. Occasionally, they turn to livestock.
Under Washington state's wolf management plan, wolves will be a
protected species until there are 15 breeding pairs for three years.
Depredations and lethal controls, legal and otherwise, are one of the
biggest hurdles to that happening.
Wolves from the Huckleberry
Pack killed more than 30 sheep in Stevens County, Wash., this summer,
prompting state wildlife officials to authorize killing up to four
wolves. An aerial gunner ended up killing the pack's alpha female. A
second alpha female, from the Teanaway pack near Ellensburg, Wash., was
illegally shot and killed in October.
That left three breeding pairs in the state.
"We're one-third of the way towards recovery and now we're way off,"
said Wielgus. "Recovery is going to take x more years because of what
happened. Obviously you can't keep doing that."
As it is, said Wielgus, a small percentage of livestock deaths are from wolves.
According to the management plan, they account for between .1 percent
and .6 percent of all livestock deaths - a minor threat compared to
other predators, disease, accidents and the dangers of calving.
In an ongoing study of non-lethal wolf control, Wielgus's Large
Carnivore Lab this summer monitored 300 radio-tagged sheep and cattle in
Eastern Washington wolf country. None were killed by wolves.
Still, there will be some depredations, he said. He encourages more
non-lethal interventions like guard dogs, "range riders" on horseback,
flags, spotlights and "risk maps" that discourage grazing animals in
hard-to-protect, wolf-rich areas.
"The only way you're going to completely eliminate livestock depredations is to get rid of all the wolves," Wielgus said, "and society has told us that that's not going to happen." - PHYS.
Hundreds of thousands of Salmon dying due to algae in southern Chile
Four
years ago that the salmon industry revived not due to one of its
greatest fears: the massive death of your fish by health factors,
causing an intense operation by the Government through the Servicio
Nacional de Pesca (Sernapesca).
Last week four companies, whose
cultivation centres hundreds of kilometres away in the southern area,
lit the alarms of the health authority due to its high mortality rates.
It's the companies: Blumar, Friosur, Acuinova and Acuimag, the first
three in Aysén and Magallanes last.
This time two foci of - also
called bloom of algae - algae blooms caused high mortalities of fish and
occurred simultaneously in the northern area of Aysén and Magallanes,
in the sector of Última Esperanza.
In the latter, the case
generated impact in Puerto Natales, closest town to affected culture
centers, due to fulminant death of the fish that were in those moments
of fattening.
"In four days in Magellan 400 thousand fish died in
a Center. Many animals die in a very short time and what is important
is that we are acting quickly to prevent the spread,"explains the
Subdirector of aquaculture of the Sernapesca, Alicia Gallardo.
And
adds: "the researchers have published is that climate change could
affect temperatures in the sea and that could lead to an increase of
populations zoo planktonic that produce these bloom." Therefore, it is
expected that such events come with climate change".
Such was the
level of impact that Magellan at the peak there were between 5 to 6
thousand fish killed per hour, detailing the authority.
An Executive linked to precise industry that if well loss itself is not so much, in the future, the impact is greater.
The
above due to lower revenues in the order of US$ 10 to US12 million,
just in the Magallanes Region. Add to that the losses of Aysén figure
doubles, reaching US$ 24 million, explains a high source of industry.
Blumar
- linked to family Yaconi-Santa Cruz and Sarquis-families, commissioned
a study to "find a scientific explanation" to the mass flowering of
algae affecting their centers in Aysén, which would be in the hands of
the directory in one more week.
Blumar, Gerardo Balbontín CEO
says "a long time ago we had an episode like this, which was strong
enough", but so far the damage is limited. In his view the generated
losses, estimated to be at least $1.5 million, does not warrant deliver a
particular controller, since the insurance cover the impact.
While
the President of SalmonChile, Felipe Sandoval says that "they are
specific cases, but what we have spoken with Sernapesca is that there
should be a monitoring particular to these episodes." There should be a
greater observation to the rise in temperatures. You have to go try
checking if this could be repeated in most followed way". - Pulso. [Translated]
November 15, 2013 - CENTRAL AMERICA - Hundreds of sea turtles are washing up dead on the beaches of Central America and scientists don't know why.
One hypothesis is that the killer is a potent neurotoxin that can be produced by algae during red tides, which are large accumulations of algae that turn sea water red or brown.
A map showing the most recent discoveries of dead turtles.
A dead Eastern Pacific green sea turtle on the Costa Rican coast. Source: Supplied
What puzzles scientists is the fact that red tides have come and gone before without taking such a deadly toll on turtles.
Another theory is that the use of explosives by Costa Rican fishermen.
Making things worse, some of the turtles that are dying are endangered species.
Eastern Pacific green sea turtles began appearing on the shores of northwestern Costa Rica in the past week. Most recently, the Nicaraguan conservation group Paso Pacifico found 28 dead turtles off the coast of San Juan del Sur, just north of the Costa Rican discoveries.
In El Salvador, from late September to the middle of October, 114 sea turtles were discovered dead on Pacific coast beaches, according to the environment ministry.
They were black turtles (Chelonia agassizii), Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and ones that are a cross between the two.
Scientists throughout Central America are alarmed, and the only laboratory that specialises in turtles is taking tissue and organ samples in a bid to figure out what is going on.
The death toll elsewhere is high - 115 so far this year in Guatemala, 280 in Costa Rica and an undisclosed number in Nicaragua. Another 200 died in late 2012 in Panama.
And in Nicaragua there is yet another problem: the turtles showed up weeks late, at the end of September, to crawl up onto the beach and lay their eggs.
"Some say it could be due to climate change, sea currents or the techniques used by fishermen,'' said biologist Ivan Ramirez of the Foundation for the Sustainable Development of Nicaragua (Fundenic).
The head of wildlife and ecosystems at the Salvadoran environment ministry, Nestor Herrera, said the strongest hypothesis over the death of the turtles is that they were killed by saxitoxin - which affects the nervous system and can be produced by a red tide.
In one area of El Salvador's coast, dogs that started eating dead turtles stopped breathing and died almost instantly.
In 2006, saxitoxin killed about 500 sea turtles in El Salvador, and four years later, another 100 died of the same cause.
However, there is a red tide almost every year, while such widespread turtle deaths have never happened before, said Angel Ibarra, coordinator of Ecological Unity of El Salvador, who added more study is needed to shed light on the phenomenon.
Others worry that the recent spate of turtle deaths can be traced more directly to human activity.
In Guatemala, the National Council of Protected Areas said some turtles are caught up by industrial-size fishing boats that drag nets along the sea bed and capture everything in their path, a process called trawling.
And drift net fishing, in which very long nets float behind a ship and near the surface of the water, could also be a threat to turtles.
Jose Leonidas Gomez, who works with a sea turtle conservation project in El Salvador, said turtles discovered dead on one beach were found not to have eaten, so it is presumed they got caught in nets.
Biologist Fabio Buitrago of Nicaragua's Fundenic said turtles are also being killed by fishermen who use explosives, among other techniques. "The fishermen themselves say so,'' he said.
Antonio Benavides, a veteran turtle conservationist in El Salvador, said protecting the creatures is all the more difficult because the mortality rate for juveniles is already high.
Only one out of a thousand babies that hatch and make it out into the sea ever returns to the beach as an adult to lay eggs.
Fertility is yet another issue: in September scientists in Honduras said turtles on one beach laid 40 per cent fewer eggs. - The Australian.
November 11, 2013 - CENTRAL AMERICA - Hundreds of sea turtles are washing up dead on the beaches of Central America and scientists don't know why.
One hypothesis is that the killer is a potent neurotoxin that can be produced by algae during red tides, which are large accumulations of algae that turn sea water red or brown.
The puzzling thing, though, is that red tides have come and gone before without taking such a deadly toll on turtles.
Making things worse, some of the turtles dying are from endangered species.
In El Salvador, for instance, from late September to the middle of October, 114 sea turtles were discovered dead on Pacific coast beaches, according to the environment ministry.
They were black turtles (Chelonia agassizii), Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and ones that are a cross between the two.
Scientists throughout Central America are alarmed, and the only laboratory that specializes in these creatures is taking tissue and organ samples to figure out what is going on.
The death toll in other countries is just as ugly -- 115 so far this year in Guatemala, 280 in Costa Rica and an undisclosed number in Nicaragua. Another 200 died in late 2012 in Panama.
And in Nicaragua there is yet another problem: turtles showed up weeks late, at the end of September, to crawl up onto the beach and lay their eggs.
"Some say it could be due to climate change, sea currents or the techniques used by fishermen," said biologist Ivan Ramirez of the Foundation for the Sustainable Development of Nicaragua (Fundenic).
The head of wildlife and ecosystems at the Salvadoran environment ministry, Nestor Herrera, said the strongest hypothesis over the death of the turtles is that they were killed by saxitoxin -- which affects the nervous system and can be produced by a red tide.
In one area of El Salvador's coast, dogs that started eating dead turtles stopped breathing and died almost instantly.
In 2006, saxitoxin killed about 500 sea turtles in El Salvador, and four years later, another 100 died of the same cause.
However, there is a red tide almost every year, while such widespread turtle deaths have never happened before, said Angel Ibarra, coordinator of Ecological Unity of El Salvador, who added more study is needed to shed light on the phenomenon.
Others worry that the recent spate of turtle deaths can be traced more directly to human activity.
In Guatemala, the National Council of Protected Areas said some turtles are caught up by industrial-size fishing boats that drag nets along the sea bed and capture everything in their path, a process called trawling.
And drift net fishing, in which very long nets float behind a ship and near the surface of the water, could also be a threat to turtles.
Jose Leonidas Gomez, who works with a sea turtle conservation project in El Salvador, said turtles discovered dead on one beach were found not to have eaten, so it is presumed they got caught in nets.
Biologist Fabio Buitrago of Nicaragua's Fundenic said turtles are also being killed by fishermen who use explosives, among other techniques.
"The fishermen themselves say so," he said.
Antonio Benavides, a veteran turtle conservationist in El Salvador, said protecting the creatures is all the more difficult because the mortality rate for juveniles is already high.
Only one out of a thousand babies that hatch and make it out into the sea ever returns to the beach as an adult to lay eggs.
Fertility is yet another issue: in September scientists in Honduras said turtles on one beach laid 40 percent fewer eggs. - Business Insider.
October 20, 2013 - UNITED STATES - A reddish algae had dead fish washing up ashore and left a nauseating odor wafting along Riverside Drive on Monday.
As biologists test the water, health officials say people with respiratory or other health conditions should avoid the algae-infested areas, or eating seafood caught there.
On Monday there was a strong, irritating odor from the Indian River Lagoon along Riverside Drive in Melbourne,
along with a fishkill north of the Melbourne Causeway. MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY
Diane Barile, a retired biologist who taught at Florida Tech and lives along Riverside Drive, just north of U.S. 192, wasn’t taking any chances.
“I’m closing all the windows,” Barile said. “I’m just not going outside.”
The lagoon took on a coppery reddish hue near Barile’s house Monday, where large dead mullet washed ashore in the brisk wind. “It’s like a red line,” Barile said of the discolored water.
Dolphin she saw early Monday seemed in a frenzy, she said, as if affected by the algae.
Recent lagoon water tests have not found Karenia brevis, the algae species most commonly referred to as red tide. That algae hasn’t popped up in Brevard since 2007.
But
other algae that similarly discolor the water have been blooming. State
wildlife officials for weeks have reported patchy algae blooms in the
lagoon. Among them is a reddish algae called Pyrodinium bahamense, a brown algae named Aureoumbra lagunensis — also referred to as brown tide — and a yellowish-brown algae called Pseudo-nitzschia.
State
wildlife officials gathered water and fish samples Monday to try to
identify the main culprit in the fish kills and the respiratory issues
Barile reported to health officials.
Meanwhile,
people concerned about health effects of any algae bloom should call
the Florida Poison Information Center, state health officials said.
“You
should not go close to it if you are sensitive,” said Brevard County
Health Department Director Heidar Heshmati. “Most of them (algae
blooms), they may have neurotoxin.” - Florida Today.
September 23, 2013 - SPAIN - Tons of kelp have
covered with a green mantle Manons, a bank arenal shellfish exploited by
the brotherhood of Cape Cross (Boiro), where yesterday operated, not
without difficulties, the producers in the area.
File photo.
These
have proved that the massive arrival of algae has killed a large number
of cockles, a species that is in the process of recovery, overcoming
the lethal action of a parasite, marteiliosis, who harshly attacked the
bivalve of the ria de Arousa. - Lavozdegalicia. [Translated]
September 19, 2013 - UNITED STATES - Dead sheepshead and pinfish speckled local waters such as the
canal behind Nikki Pingston’s house, fouling the air countywide this
week and souring the disposition of waterfront dwellers.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything done to the bodies of the fish,” Pingston said of the hundreds of scaly corpses in her canal this week. “That’s the first time I’ve seen the fish floating out there.”
Many have reported similar isolated patches of dead fish throughout the Indian River Lagoon, Mosquito Lagoon and Banana River in recent weeks. Others have spotted groups offish gasping for air.
Among the reports this past weekend were an estimated 1,000 dead fish in the Banana River near Mathers Bridge and Telemar Bay Marina, according to the state’s fish kill database.
The lagoon’s fish have been suffocating under an onslaught from this summer’s ongoing brown tide and several other algae blooms in the Indian River Lagoon, Mosquito Lagoon and Banana River, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Tripp Pingston, 6, and neighbor Rileigh Capozzi, 7, look at the canal water behind the Pingston family home
on Sandpiper Drive, where hundreds of dead fish are spread out. / Tim Shortt/FLORIDA TODAY
FWC researchers have documented patchy blooms of algae in all three of those water bodies, resulting in discolored water and fish kills in some spots.
Algae adds oxygen to the water during the day, as a byproduct of photosynthesis, but less so on cloudy days. Then at night, the algae consumes oxygen, at times depleting the water of enough oxygen to kill fish in the early morning hours.
But biologists say summer fish kills are nothing new this time of year, typically peaking in August and September in Brevard.
Warmer summer water holds less oxygen than cooler water. And bacteria in water can consume oxygen as algae and other organic matter rots.
“Just this past week, we’ve had several going on at once,” said Rich Paperno, research administrator at FWC’s Indian River Field Laboratory in Melbourne, of the recent fish kills.
“It seems it’s been fairly quiet in terms of fish kills,” Paperno added. “It’s typical for this time of year.”
According to a FLORIDA TODAY analysis of FWC’s fish kill database:
•
More than 1,500 fish kills were reported in Brevard County since
1973. Melbourne and Merritt Island had the most, more than 300 each, or a
combined 43 percent of the total reported in the county. • September has been the peak month for fish kills in Brevard, with 224 die-offs, or about 15 percent. •
The leading cause of fish kills in Brevard was low oxygen in the
water, accounting for 397 of the fish kills. Almost as many, 378,
happened for unknown reasons. Algae blooms were the third-leading cause,
219 reported die-offs.
WATCH: Algae-related fish kills plague Indian River Lagoon.
The database, which also includes incidences such as manatee, sea
turtle and bird deaths, is based on reports made to thestatewide Marine
Fish Kill Hotline. FWC follows up on each report,although they can’t
verify every account through direct observation.
Pingston can. Her canal off Sandpiper Drive links with Grand Canal, which runs along Tortoise Island and Lansing Island, where similar fish kills have been reported this week.
Paperno, of FWC, has seen it before.
“That Grand Canal seems to be a common place where they happen,” Paperno said.
“Any canal with a lot of housing along it is probably a hotspot,” he said. “You’ve taking out the natural habitat.”
Loss of mangroves, overfertilizing and septic tanks contribute to the algae explosions that can kill fish and other lagoon wildlife, biologists say.
Since moving to Sandpiper about a year ago, the Pingstons already have witnessed four dead manatees. Earlier this year, Nikki Pingston said she took a sick cormorant to a local wildlife hospital. It didn’t make it.
“This is just sad to see this,” she said. - Florida Today.
September 13, 2013 - CUBA - A
climate has caused panic and concern among the people of Caimanera,
Guantanamo, the appearance on Tuesday on the beaches of a considerable
number of dead fish.
FILE -Cuban Botes displayed near a lighthouse on the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay.
"There is a massive fish kill here Caimanera beaches of all types and
sizes and has created a panic in the population," said Javier who sadly
watched the bleak.
Other residents of this eastern region as Yeris Curbelo say that some
fish are "half bobos" and people "frightened because it affects both the
economy and the food situation."
To confirm the allegations reported by the community, Martí News
contacted the specialist of the Ministry of Science, Technology and
Environment in Caimanera, Stephen Castaneda, who on Wednesday morning
was meeting at the provincial headquarters of the organization by
analyzing the subject.
On Tuesday night "a whole entire team with people Perimeter Border
Captain and other authorities in Caimanera we toured in Bay ended about
nine of the Night" Castaneda explained and said extracted "samples fish,
water, sea bottom "and sent to the laboratory of Water and Sewer,
Hygiene and Epidemiology and Fisheries to issue" an opinion owing to the
Naval authorities are concerned ".
The specialist shared their hypotheses about the causes of environmental disaster:
"There are some algae that occur on this date are those that cause the death of many fish. We are analyzing why play so large that these algae even normal for this time the river to change up the color of the sea. "
Several residents believe Caimanera besides algae, pollution by sewage
discharged into the bay is one of the causes of the problem.
Hundreds of fishermen and people linked to coastal life Caimanera
anxiously await the results of the study to resume fishing activities. - Martinoticias. [Translated]
