What's killing carp?

[Spiel]

What's killing carp?

 

Jul 09, 2008

John Slykhuis / yorkregion.com

 

A couple of dead carp were found floating near the shore at Miami Beach in Keswick. Ministry of Natural Resources officials say dead carp is not a major environmental concern and of no health threat to you

.

 

 

Georgina: The ongoing mass carp die off in Lake Simcoe isn’t the first one.

 

Lloyd Crate, of Crate’s Marina in Keswick recalled a similar incident in the early 1930s.

 

“That was when we first came up here,” he said. “There weren’t any cottages on the lake at that time.

 

“We had to dig holes and bury them. This is about the same as then. The amount of fish that’s out there is unreal.”

 

That earlier die-off continued for about a month, he added.

 

The carp are being killed by a bacteria called columnaris, which is harmless to humans although the stench of the rotting fish can cause considerable discomfort, Ministry of Natural Resources officials said.

 

The ministry does not consider it a “crisis situation at this time ... The ministry simply says the disease must run its course”, said Councillor Dave Szollosy, a member of the environmental advisory committee.

 

The ministry does not pick up dead fish, other than on its own lands, such as Sibbald Point Provincial Park, Jane Sirois, a spokesperson with the ministry said.

 

Die-off locations are monitored and sick carp are being caught and tested.

 

Willow Beach and Jackson’s Point beach were posted earlier this week for excessive E. coli counts, but that had nothing to do with the dead and dying carp, Becky Hester, York Region senior public health inspector, said.

 

Students collecting water for testing are also counting the dead fish when they spot them.

 

“If there’s something unusual at a particular beach, we always document it,” she said. “We have a whole field data report sheet the students fill in when they do the sampling.

 

“We’re testing for E. coli and we haven’t been finding anything unusual.”

 

The students, who must go into the water to collect the samples, haven’t run in to many dead fish since town staff have been quick to collect the carcasses, Ms Hester added.

 

“Fortunately they haven’t had to contend with that.”

 

The town’s beaches haven’t seen any decline in sunseekers despite the widespread reports of the fish dieoff, acting leisure services director Faye Richardson said.

 

The town’s seven-day-a-week cleanup effort is continuing, operations manager Bob Fortier said.

 

Town properties and road ends are being dealt with by staff and residents collecting dead carp are asked to double bag them, place by the curb and call the town for pickup at 905-476-4305, ext. 232.

 

As a precaution, it is suggested residents wear rubber gloves, then afterward, wash gloves and tools with bleach.

 

The cost of the cleanup will be tallied when the contagion has passed.

To report dying fish call the MNR at 1-866-929-0994.

 

For more on the disease go the Ministry of Natural Resources website www.mnr.gov.on.ca/239487.pdf