The herring apocalypse
The herring apocalypse: Fish worth millions in exports die in Icelandic lake after building work 'starves them of oxygen'
Stretching as far as the eye can see, dead herring blanket the ground in these chilling pictures taken today.
It is not yet known what is causing the mass fish deaths in Iceland, but today's grim find is the second such occurrence in two months.
The herring, weighing an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 tonnes and worth nearly A$30million, were found floating dead in a small fjord on the northern part of west Iceland.
The Dead Sea: Millions of herring lie dead, believed to have been killed by building work
The fish were found in a small fjord on the northern part of west Iceland
Biologist Róbert Arnar Stefánsson estimates that 7,000 tonnes of herring is laying on the shore and there are many more at the bottom of the fjord.
Both this mass death and the one in December, where a similar amount of fish died, are thought to be due to a lack of oxygen in the fjord caused by a landfill and bridge constructed across the fjord in 2004.
School children in a nearby village collected between 25 and 30 tonnes of the dead herring this morning for sale as animal fodder.
It is the second time there has been a mass death of herring since December
Workers clear up dead herring worth millions in exports. The fishing industry is a huge part of Iceland's economy
The herring will be left to decompose naturally, according to a decision by the Environment Agency of Iceland and the West Iceland Centre of Natural History.
Nearby residents complained about the smell of the rotten fish and there is an ongoing dispute over the clean-up.
Tens of thousands of birds have been drawn to the site to feed, but there are fears the fish oil from the decaying herring might threaten these birds in the coming weeks and months.
The fishing industry is a major part of Iceland's economy, accounting for approximately half of the country's total exports.
Fears: The Icelandic Government has agreed to fund research into the deaths as concern grows
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Point Grey Dredging
I can see that sort of thing happening at the mandurah estuary when thay start the dredging for the point grey development, and when it does the developer will stand back and say well we got government approval it's not our fault and if you try and make us pay to fix the problem (if it can be fixed in our time) we will go bankrupt and everone will loos money (except us) The government will wash their hands of the problem and say there is not enough money in the budget to deal with this (ala swan river problems) so good people of mandurah toughen up and live with it..
Watching and waiting for the dreadging to start on the point grey channel
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Are you from Mandurah
Now that I have sort off moved back to Mandurah/Parkridge/Bouvard from Kcity (I am a FOFI), and have stunning views of the Estuary, I have to take much more interest in this.
I have to admit silting up the estaury could cause concerns. I am sure the dolphins I see from the balcony every day will not be there if the dredging causes bait fish to kark it.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Simbiotic
Posts: 12
Date Joined: 26/01/13
bizarre
That's a huge fish-kill, and another the same in December.
Did anyone understand how a bridge built 9 years ago, has suddenly caused two fish kills in the last 3 months?
It's been winter there as well, so it should be easier for oxygen to dissolve in sea-water.
Maybe a volcanoe has been gassing into the lake?