«  
  »

Biologist: Pacific herring in Canada bleeding from eyeballs, faces, fins, tails — I’ve never seen fish looking this bad — All 100 examined were bloody — Officials informed of hemorrhaging soon after 3/11 — Gov’t ignoring problem (PHOTO)

Published: August 19th, 2013 at 12:29 pm ET
By
Email Article Email Article
65 comments


The Globe and Mail, Aug 13, 2013 (Emphasis Added): Independent fisheries scientist Alexandra Morton is raising concerns about a disease she says is spreading through Pacific herring causing fish to hemorrhage. [...] “Two days ago I did a beach seine on Malcolm Island [near Port McNeill on northern Vancouver Island] and I got approximately 100 of these little herring and they were not only bleeding from their fins, but their bellies, their chins, their eyeballs.  [...] “It was 100 per cent … I couldn’t find any that weren’t bleeding to some degree. And they were schooling with young sockeye [salmon]”

SOURCE: Alexandra Morton via Vancouver 24 hrs

Sun News, Aug 12, 2013: [Morton] dragged up several hundred of the fish this past weekend and found the apparent infection had spread – instead of their usual silver colour the fish had eyes, tails, underbellies, gills and faces plastered with the sickly red colour. “I have never seen fish that looked this bad,” [...] In June, the affected fish were only found in eastern Johnstone Strait, but have since spread to Alert Bay and Sointula, she said.

Canada.com, Aug 16, 2013: Morton [...] pulled up a net of about 100 herring near Sointula and found they were all bleeding. “It was pretty shocking to see,” said Morton [...] Herring school with small sockeye salmon and are also eaten by chinook and coho.

Cover of Vancouver 24 hrs (SOURCE: Alexandra Morton)

‘Response’ from Canadian Government

Vancouver 24 hrs, Aug 11, 2013: [Morton] says Fisheries and Oceans Canada [FOC] is ignoring the problem. [...] According to emails from FOC, the federal authority had asked the marine biologist to send in 20 to 30 herring in September 2011, saying that would be “more than sufficient for the lab to look for clinical signs of disease and provide sufficient diagnostics.” She did, and hasn’t heard back since. [...] FOC officials did not respond to a request for comment by the 24 hours presstime.

Canada.com, Aug 16, 2013: Fisheries and Oceans Canada is trying to confirm reports from an independent biologist that herring around northern Vancouver Island have a disease that is causing bleeding from their gills, bellies and eyeballs. [...] Arlene Tompkins of DFO’s [Department of Fisheries and Oceans'] salmon assessment section said staff in the Port Hardy area have not found bleeding herring. “We are trying to retrieve samples, but [Monday] we were not successful because of heavy fog,” she said. “We haven’t had any other reports of fish kills or die-offs [see salmon report below].” Tompkins has seen photographs provided by Morton [...]

From earlier today: Unprecedented: Sockeye salmon at dire historic low on Canada's Pacific coast -- "We think something happened in the ocean" -- "The elders have never seen anything like this at all" -- Alaska and Russia also affected (MAP)

UPDATE: Canadian official publicly claims 'no concern' over new Fukushima leak info... Yet privately requested tests on salmon, due to "great public concern about potential radiation contamination in these fish"

Published: August 19th, 2013 at 12:29 pm ET
By
Email Article Email Article
65 comments

Related Posts

  1. Marine biologist in Canada: Salmon species needs to be tested for radiation — Gov’t doesn’t want us to know August 19, 2011
  2. Canadian gov’t now plans to start radiation testing on fish off B.C. coast August 19, 2011
  3. Local Official in Canada: Test fish for Fukushima contamination — “It’s a very, very important issue and quite frightening” — Concern over radioactive pollution growing August 22, 2013
  4. Physician: Statement by Canadian officials indicates Fukushima contamination was detected in fish at levels that are “difficult to explain without undue alarm” — Huffington Post: “Sockeye Salmon Sushi: Use a Geiger Counter” September 6, 2013
  5. Physician in Canada on Cancer Estimates: Epidemic of Fukushima radiation-related deaths from consuming Pacific fish? “Vast implications for human health” — “I eat so much salmon… I’m vulnerable” October 3, 2013
August 19th, 2013 | Category: Canada
«  
  »

65 comments to Biologist: Pacific herring in Canada bleeding from eyeballs, faces, fins, tails — I’ve never seen fish looking this bad — All 100 examined were bloody — Officials informed of hemorrhaging soon after 3/11 — Gov’t ignoring problem (PHOTO)

You must be logged in to post a comment.

«  
  »