I Bay Fish Die Off- FYI

[Just Fishin']

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.

 

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[Sk8man]

Thanks Just Fishin...it sounds much more plausible than the temperature change theory.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Sk8man

[muskiedreams]

There was also a big spring die off in the Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor this spring.  The orriginal explanation there was the same.

[momay4000]

Thanks for the update - it was sad to see all these fish swimming around my boat in the bay. They all looked like they had broken backs and were swimming around in circles.

 

I hope it doesn't affect the salmonids

 

Good luck on the water and be safe,

 

Chris

[Just Fishin']

It probably is clear, but just to be sure, I only cut and pasted an article from a D and C site. All text is from the article.

[GAMBLER]

Wonderful.  Here we go again. 

Edited May 29, 2013 by GAMBLER

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

The Gizzard shad has died off massively here before. It is not well suited for this habitat, yet experiences huge spikes in population. This would leave them much more susceptible to these diseases. We are noticing even the gulls don't  like them.

It is an invader.