January 11, 2014 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest incidents of mass animal, bird and fish die-offs across the globe:
Hundreds of dead fish have near Varbinski bridge warned 24rodopi.com. Fishermen are whistleblowers worried that upstream of Arda leaking poisons in industrial quantities."We came to go fishing near the village Varbina.
Piles of dead fish in there.We tried to contact RIEWs but no one picked up the phone. Or upstream of Arda leaking poisons in industrial quantities, or poachers poured something into the river, "have shared fishermen.According RIEWs Smolyan, data on contamination of river waters will, cause fish kills clear.In examining expert inspection was found dead barbell. Is suspected poachers fishing with electricity.73-foot-long stone bridge is located on the border of Madan Municipality. This is a favorite place for fishermen in Kardzhali and Smolyan. - iNews. [Translated]
Citing a serious threat to wildlife, the South Bayside System Authority (SBSA) wastewater facility in Redwood City will drain its popular bird-watching pond beginning Friday because an apparent outbreak of avian cholera has killed nearly 150 ducks since Friday, January 3. A U.S. Fish & Wildlife official is reporting news of avian cholera in Hayward and now, possibly in Redwood City. At this time the cause of the ducks death at the Radio Road site has not been confirmed but is suspected to be the spread of avian cholera from the East Bay.
“Please note that this does not pose a threat to humans, but can cause death to waterfowl, gulls, and other species,” said Melisa Amato, Wildlife Refuge Specialist & Hunt Program Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. She is asking the public to “please report any large numbers of dead birds (more than 10) to cheryl_strong@fws.gov or rachel_tertes@fws.gov, especially if these birds appear to be fresh and have no obvious signs of death or there are more on a regular basis.” The popular SBSA “pond” that greets visitors to the plant at 1400 Radio Road, Redwood City – at the southeast end of Redwood Shores – is technically called a landscape impoundment. It was created in 1998 on the west side of the treatment plant to eliminate dust from the dry barren dirt in the area. “Over the years this body of water has met the goal of eliminating dust from the dry, bare land next to the treatment plant and has become a popular spot for bird watchers, The dust proved detrimental to the lifespan of the plant’s equipment, especially the electrical system and instrumentation devices ” noted SBSA Manager Dan Child.
On its website, the Sequoia Audubon Society says that SBSA’s landscape impoundment “is a perpetual favorite among local birders, for its fabulous numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds, and the constant hope, often fulfilled, of rarities. It is not uncommon to see over 10,000 birds from the security of your car, all close enough to be identified with binoculars (although a scope is a spectacular asset at this location). Radio Road has it all: easy access, constant numbers of birds, rarities, opportunities for study of breeding and of vagrancy, a variety of habitats in a small space, no barriers for those with disabilities, and, for birders who have canine companions, there is a dog park right here!” The pond is kept fresh by a flow of fresh recycled water from the treatment facility to replace water lost by evaporation and by allowing a certain amount to overflow back to the treatment plant. Peak water flow to the pond in the hot season can reach over 100,000 gallons per day of water from the recycled water system. - Belmont Patch.
The eThekwini municipality has been criticised for its refusal to name the Prospecton factory that has been polluting the iSipingo River, where thousands of dead fish washed up earlier this week. Amanzimtoti ward councillor André Beetge said those responsible needed to be named and shamed. “If the city knows for sure who it is, if they have proof, they should not protect them.” The factory had to be held accountable to the public. City spokesman Thabo Mofokeng said on Thursday that “action” had been taken against the factory, but he would not disclose its name, the type of pollutant or the nature of the action taken.
The fish washed up on the banks of the river mouth, in the south of Durban, on Tuesday. The river water had taken on a black colour and a strong smell permeated the area. Mofokeng said investigations found the factory had been “illegally discharging” into the river. Adding to this problem was that a 400mm sewer pipe, feeding the Joyner Road sewage pump station, in Jeffels Road, Prospecton, had failed. This was apparently due to the theft of a steel bracket that had been holding up the pipe. “The pollution was compounded by a dry-ish period, followed by rainfall, which generally generates poor quality run-off,” he said. A number of departments, including health, were working on the issue. Mofokeng said most of the dead fish had been taken to a landfill site. “The city has started repairs to the sewer line, but this will take some time to rectify,” said Mofokeng. Attempts would be made to remove the remaining fish and to aerate part of the lagoon today. “If this fails we will approach Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife and the Department of Environmental Affairs to breach the lagoon and flush the pollution out,” Mofokeng said.
As a health precaution people have been advised not to swim or fish in the area until the matter has been resolved. Beetge said the fish kill was not an isolated incident. Such problems plagued the whole south Durban area. “A pump station failed in Amanzimtoti in December and we had dead fish in the Winklespruit River,” he said. “The infrastructure here is rotten. It is not being maintained and those who are supposed to maintain it seem to lack the necessary knowledge.” Beetge said it was time for someone to “take ownership” of the problem. Controversy has surrounded the area over the past decade. In September 2004, it was reported that fish had died. This followed an oil leak from the Sapref offshore oil pipeline, but the authorities said there was no connection. In September 2012, the media reported a study by the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology that analysed industrial plastic pellets on beaches around the world and found that those collected on Isipingo Beach had the highest concentration of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), a toxic substance that is used as an insecticide. - IOL.
In the last week, 35 dead turtles were found on the same stretch and this is just the tip of the iceberg. "Studies show that only 5% to 7% of the carcasses wash ashore," said Akila Balu, convener of Students' Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN).
Olive Ridleys are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act and are considered keystone species, which means they play a critical role in the health of their environment. They keep the population of jelly fish in check and by feeding on sponges, they let coral reefs flourish. "It was very depressing to see so many turtles bloated and bleeding on the beach," said R Nishant, a volunteer from SSTCN who scouted the beach on Monday night between Srinivasapuram and Napier Bridge. The female turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the beach. - Times of India.
AltaLink is investigating reports about dozens of dead ducks near one of its transmission lines in southwest Alberta. Retired scientist David McIntyre raised concerns after he found duck carcasses under a newly-built transmission line north of Pincher Creek.
McIntyre estimates the deaths may be in the hundreds based on a 10-minute walk along the line he took on Dec. 31. Judging from the damage to ducks, he thinks they may be hitting the line in bad weather when they can't see it. The company is sending workers to an area near Pincher Creek and may install "flappers" to help make the lines more visible. Director Scott Schreiner says it appears it happened near an existing line and not near one of the new transmission lines under construction.
"We've sent a team of environmental experts from AltaLink and external providers down to investigate. Normally, what we try to do is mitigate any impact on the environment of our facilities. That includes bird contacts." The team will walk up and down the transmission lines in the area and may also do a bird count. While the company performs environmental assessments and can use some techniques to divert birds, Schreiner admits some conflict with birds is unavoidable. "Whether it's a phone line or a telephone tower or a house, birds have collisions with those aerial facilities." AltaLink will need a few days to investigate the reports. The company has notified Alberta Environment about the incident. - CBC.
Utah wildlife officials say the number of bald eagles that appear to have died from West Nile Virus has climbed to 40. Leslie McFarlane, a wildlife disease coordinator with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, reports say that besides the 40 dead birds, there are five others in rehabilitation centers. McFarlane says the number of dead eagles should start to drop off as the spread of infection appears to have slowed. Wildlife officials first started finding the birds on Dec. 1 with head tremors and signs of weakness and paralysis. They were not sure what was killing the animals until last week, when they received test results. They suspect the animals contracted West Nile by eating dead aquatic birds that were infected with the disease. - KUTV.
National Park river, killing a "massive" number of fish, after heavy rains contributed to the overflow of a tailings dam in the Phalaborwa region, South African National Parks (SANParks) said on Monday. Acid mine water contains high levels of heavy metals and salts. It has affected vast areas of South Africa and is an urgent problem in the Witwatersrand, where it is projected that if the problem is not addressed in Africa and South Africa’s economic hub, it will lead to shortages of usable water from this year. Department of Water Affairs compliance monitoring and enforcement director Nigel Adams said criminal charges had been laid against the Bosveld Phosphate mining operation, and the department was also taking administrative action against the miner. The incident was detected by Kruger National Park staff after a tip-off by a local fisherman on December 30. The fisherman had seen the dead fish.
The spill polluted the Selati River, an important tributary of the Olifants River, a significant shared watercourse with Mozambique. In 2013, a team of 30 scientists found that mining, industrial, agricultural and sewage pollution had caused a toxic soup that threatened the future of the Olifants River — estimated by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research as South Africa’s third hardest-working river — and the health of the people and animals living in its catchment basin. SANParks said in a statement that investigations into the environmental impact of the latest spillage continued and would be made public once concluded. There is also continuous monitoring of the rivers affected to assess their condition. Mr Adams said the pollution had been contained and the river’s acidity level was tested every three hours. Water had been released from the Blyde Dam to dilute the pollution, he said. "The situation is improving," he added. SANParks said it had taken "immediate precautions" to ensure safe water supply to tourist camps in the park. Camps dependent on water from the Olifants River were switched to back-up borehole water, with associated water-use restrictions to ensure that demand could be met. - BD Live.
It will take a week to receive the results on the sample of contaminated water made by ARPA in the areas of Reggio and Rubiera Gazzata and figure out what caused the deaths of tons of fish in the cable Tresinaro New Year's Eve. Doubts about the causes seem very few and the hypothesis that a spill of sewage may have resulted in a mortality of so many fish is almost certain.
Meanwhile, the cable has been cleared by a specialist company and the dead fish were disposed of. First to notice the disaster were some residents of Gazzata, Molino, where it was found the highest concentration of dead fish. The spillage of sewage would be carried out not far away, near the Tassarola, then the liquid would expand along the cable up to San Martino in Rio and close to San Biagio di Correggio.
Thanks to the painstaking work of volunteers and fishermen, nearly three tons of fish, mostly of large size, were saved even though it will be hard to restore the original fauna tract Tresinaro. The police investigations are continuing and increasingly gaining the hypothesis that lead to the disaster has not been a local farmer but a tanker. - Gazzetta Di Reggio. [Translated]
Wildlife officials confirmed on Tuesday the West Nile virus is responsible for at least 27 bald eagles deaths near the Great Salt Lake area in the month of December. The birds of prey contracted the virus after feeding on infected water birds called eared grebes. Approximately 20,000 of the grebes have died since November outside Salt Lake City, making the outbreak one of the biggest North America has ever seen. Continue reading below to find out what this could mean for the United States’ recently recovered bald eagle population.
An unprecedented wintertime outbreak of West Nile virus has killed more than two dozen bald eagles in Utah and thousands of water birds around the Great Salt Lake, state wildlife officials said on Tuesday. At least 27 bald eagles have died this month in the northern and central parts of Utah from the blood-borne virus, and state biologists reported that five more ailing eagles were responding to treatment at rehabilitation centers. The eagles, whose symptoms included leg paralysis and tremors, are believed to have contracted the disease by preying on sick or dead water birds called eared grebes that were infected by the West Nile virus, said Leslie McFarlane, Utah wildlife disease coordinator. Some 20,000 of the water birds have died in and around the Great Salt Lake since November in an outbreak that may be a record in North America, McFarlane said. Initial testing suggested an infectious bacterial disease such as avian cholera caused the deaths, but findings released on Tuesday showed West Nile virus was the culprit, McFarlane said. The dead birds do not pose a risk to people, Utah Health Department epidemiologist JoDee Baker said in a statement. Yet Baker urged those who find sick or dead birds to avoid handling them. Utah wildlife specialists said bird deaths tied to West Nile virus were unusual in wintertime in Utah since mosquitoes – the primary vector – are not usually active during colder months.
‘NOT BEEN SEEN BEFORE’
McFarlane said Utah had an unusually warm fall that extended the breeding season for mosquitoes to late October. But scientists may ultimately be unable to determine if grebes infected by West Nile virus migrated to Utah or if they contracted it there, she said. West Nile virus, which was first detected in North America in 1999 and has since spread across the continental United States and Canada, can live for a few days in carcasses of infected birds. It can be transmitted to birds of prey and scavengers that feed on them, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the epidemic in Utah may be unprecedented in North America for the masses of birds killed over a broad geographic area and for the number of bald eagles affected, said McFarlane.
Additional testing of grebes and eagles is underway to shed more light on the mix of factors that converged to trigger the extensive die-off and to determine how much of a risk it might pose to other types of birds.More than 2 million eared grebes stage at the Great Salt Lake amid a yearly winter migration from Canada and U.S. states west of the Mississippi River, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York.The water birds are expected to end their stopover in Utah and fly to the Southwestern United States and Mexico the second week of January, reducing the disease risk to bald eagles, McFarlane said.From 750 to 1,200 bald eagles migrate to wintering grounds in Utah each year, she said.Bald eagles, the national symbol of the United States, were removed from the federal threatened and endangered species list in 2007 after they soared back from near extinction. - Global Animal.
The Chinese Tribute Gardens are a place of peace, pagodas and, in recent weeks, rotting fish.Young local Linda Hwang visits the gardens daily and was surprised to find familiar ducks, swans and cranes swimming with a smelly new friend.
"One of my dogs, who I walk here everyday, had sussed it out," she said. "He was probably drawn by the smell more than anything.""He wanted to get it and was dragging on the lead.”The fish, an orange two-footer bleached by the sun, is one of the 500 to 1000 estimated to have died in the waters of the gardens and nearby Chinaman's Dam.Ms Hwang spotted the scaly mess on Monday morning, flipping it with a stick and sending it from the shore."I didn't want somebody else, maybe a child, to touch it," she said. "It could be dreadfully full of bacteria."Young Council Director of Planning, Environment and Strategic Services Craig Filmer said the sudden deaths were likely due to a spike in water temperature.
"We couldn't see any pollutants and don't know of any incidents that could have caused it," he said. "We've had a chat with the fisheries doctor, who supplies the area, and it seems a quick temperature change can cause things like this to happen."Mr Filmer said most of the affected fish were small, with only a handful of larger breeds succumbing to the heat."The majority of them were two to four inches," he said. "[But] it's affecting fish from the smallest shrimp to bigger fish like carp."The heat has also seen the water-level around the gardens and dam rapidly decline, something Mr Filmer said was far from unexpected."It's not uncommon for that billabong (pictured) to dry up in summer," he said. "The spring water that naturally feeds that dam probably isn't replenishing as fast as the evaporation is depleting it."
Council fished most of the dead from the water early last week, Mr Filmer affirming the shire's commitment to the area."We are constantly looking at ways of improving the gardens," he said. "It's one of our top tourist draws, as well as a respectful tribute to our sister-city relationship with Lanzhou [in China]." - Young Witness.
Apocalyptic Die-Off Of Hundreds Of Fish In A Pond In Varbina, Bulgaria.
Hundreds of dead fish have near Varbinski bridge warned 24rodopi.com. Fishermen are whistleblowers worried that upstream of Arda leaking poisons in industrial quantities."We came to go fishing near the village Varbina.
Piles of dead fish in there.We tried to contact RIEWs but no one picked up the phone. Or upstream of Arda leaking poisons in industrial quantities, or poachers poured something into the river, "have shared fishermen.According RIEWs Smolyan, data on contamination of river waters will, cause fish kills clear.In examining expert inspection was found dead barbell. Is suspected poachers fishing with electricity.73-foot-long stone bridge is located on the border of Madan Municipality. This is a favorite place for fishermen in Kardzhali and Smolyan. - iNews. [Translated]
150 Ducks Die From Outbreak Of Bird Flu In Redwood City, California, United States.
 |
| SBSA’s Popular Bird-Watching Pond to Be Drained after Apparent Attack of
Avian Cholera Kills 150 Ducks Photo: South Bayside System Authorit |
Citing a serious threat to wildlife, the South Bayside System Authority (SBSA) wastewater facility in Redwood City will drain its popular bird-watching pond beginning Friday because an apparent outbreak of avian cholera has killed nearly 150 ducks since Friday, January 3. A U.S. Fish & Wildlife official is reporting news of avian cholera in Hayward and now, possibly in Redwood City. At this time the cause of the ducks death at the Radio Road site has not been confirmed but is suspected to be the spread of avian cholera from the East Bay.
“Please note that this does not pose a threat to humans, but can cause death to waterfowl, gulls, and other species,” said Melisa Amato, Wildlife Refuge Specialist & Hunt Program Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. She is asking the public to “please report any large numbers of dead birds (more than 10) to cheryl_strong@fws.gov or rachel_tertes@fws.gov, especially if these birds appear to be fresh and have no obvious signs of death or there are more on a regular basis.” The popular SBSA “pond” that greets visitors to the plant at 1400 Radio Road, Redwood City – at the southeast end of Redwood Shores – is technically called a landscape impoundment. It was created in 1998 on the west side of the treatment plant to eliminate dust from the dry barren dirt in the area. “Over the years this body of water has met the goal of eliminating dust from the dry, bare land next to the treatment plant and has become a popular spot for bird watchers, The dust proved detrimental to the lifespan of the plant’s equipment, especially the electrical system and instrumentation devices ” noted SBSA Manager Dan Child.
On its website, the Sequoia Audubon Society says that SBSA’s landscape impoundment “is a perpetual favorite among local birders, for its fabulous numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds, and the constant hope, often fulfilled, of rarities. It is not uncommon to see over 10,000 birds from the security of your car, all close enough to be identified with binoculars (although a scope is a spectacular asset at this location). Radio Road has it all: easy access, constant numbers of birds, rarities, opportunities for study of breeding and of vagrancy, a variety of habitats in a small space, no barriers for those with disabilities, and, for birders who have canine companions, there is a dog park right here!” The pond is kept fresh by a flow of fresh recycled water from the treatment facility to replace water lost by evaporation and by allowing a certain amount to overflow back to the treatment plant. Peak water flow to the pond in the hot season can reach over 100,000 gallons per day of water from the recycled water system. - Belmont Patch.
Thousands Of Fish Die Of Pollution In A River In Durban, South Africa.
 |
| The polluted mouth of the iSipingo River. Picture: Marilyn Bernard |
The eThekwini municipality has been criticised for its refusal to name the Prospecton factory that has been polluting the iSipingo River, where thousands of dead fish washed up earlier this week. Amanzimtoti ward councillor André Beetge said those responsible needed to be named and shamed. “If the city knows for sure who it is, if they have proof, they should not protect them.” The factory had to be held accountable to the public. City spokesman Thabo Mofokeng said on Thursday that “action” had been taken against the factory, but he would not disclose its name, the type of pollutant or the nature of the action taken.
The fish washed up on the banks of the river mouth, in the south of Durban, on Tuesday. The river water had taken on a black colour and a strong smell permeated the area. Mofokeng said investigations found the factory had been “illegally discharging” into the river. Adding to this problem was that a 400mm sewer pipe, feeding the Joyner Road sewage pump station, in Jeffels Road, Prospecton, had failed. This was apparently due to the theft of a steel bracket that had been holding up the pipe. “The pollution was compounded by a dry-ish period, followed by rainfall, which generally generates poor quality run-off,” he said. A number of departments, including health, were working on the issue. Mofokeng said most of the dead fish had been taken to a landfill site. “The city has started repairs to the sewer line, but this will take some time to rectify,” said Mofokeng. Attempts would be made to remove the remaining fish and to aerate part of the lagoon today. “If this fails we will approach Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife and the Department of Environmental Affairs to breach the lagoon and flush the pollution out,” Mofokeng said.
As a health precaution people have been advised not to swim or fish in the area until the matter has been resolved. Beetge said the fish kill was not an isolated incident. Such problems plagued the whole south Durban area. “A pump station failed in Amanzimtoti in December and we had dead fish in the Winklespruit River,” he said. “The infrastructure here is rotten. It is not being maintained and those who are supposed to maintain it seem to lack the necessary knowledge.” Beetge said it was time for someone to “take ownership” of the problem. Controversy has surrounded the area over the past decade. In September 2004, it was reported that fish had died. This followed an oil leak from the Sapref offshore oil pipeline, but the authorities said there was no connection. In September 2012, the media reported a study by the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology that analysed industrial plastic pellets on beaches around the world and found that those collected on Isipingo Beach had the highest concentration of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), a toxic substance that is used as an insecticide. - IOL.
35 Turtles Wash Ashore Dead Along The Coast Of Chennai, India.
For turtle enthusiasts, 2014 began on a tragic note with 23 dead Olive Ridleys being washed ashore between Napier Bridge and Neelankarai in the last two days.In the last week, 35 dead turtles were found on the same stretch and this is just the tip of the iceberg. "Studies show that only 5% to 7% of the carcasses wash ashore," said Akila Balu, convener of Students' Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN).
Olive Ridleys are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act and are considered keystone species, which means they play a critical role in the health of their environment. They keep the population of jelly fish in check and by feeding on sponges, they let coral reefs flourish. "It was very depressing to see so many turtles bloated and bleeding on the beach," said R Nishant, a volunteer from SSTCN who scouted the beach on Monday night between Srinivasapuram and Napier Bridge. The female turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the beach. - Times of India.
Hundreds Of Dead Ducks In Alberta, Canada.
 |
| A retired scientist took this photo of what appears to be dead ducks
underneath a transmission line being built in the Pincher Creek area. (Submitted by David McIntyre) |
AltaLink is investigating reports about dozens of dead ducks near one of its transmission lines in southwest Alberta. Retired scientist David McIntyre raised concerns after he found duck carcasses under a newly-built transmission line north of Pincher Creek.
McIntyre estimates the deaths may be in the hundreds based on a 10-minute walk along the line he took on Dec. 31. Judging from the damage to ducks, he thinks they may be hitting the line in bad weather when they can't see it. The company is sending workers to an area near Pincher Creek and may install "flappers" to help make the lines more visible. Director Scott Schreiner says it appears it happened near an existing line and not near one of the new transmission lines under construction.
"We've sent a team of environmental experts from AltaLink and external providers down to investigate. Normally, what we try to do is mitigate any impact on the environment of our facilities. That includes bird contacts." The team will walk up and down the transmission lines in the area and may also do a bird count. While the company performs environmental assessments and can use some techniques to divert birds, Schreiner admits some conflict with birds is unavoidable. "Whether it's a phone line or a telephone tower or a house, birds have collisions with those aerial facilities." AltaLink will need a few days to investigate the reports. The company has notified Alberta Environment about the incident. - CBC.
40 Bald Eagles Now Dead From "Virus" In Utah, United States.
Utah wildlife officials say the number of bald eagles that appear to have died from West Nile Virus has climbed to 40. Leslie McFarlane, a wildlife disease coordinator with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, reports say that besides the 40 dead birds, there are five others in rehabilitation centers. McFarlane says the number of dead eagles should start to drop off as the spread of infection appears to have slowed. Wildlife officials first started finding the birds on Dec. 1 with head tremors and signs of weakness and paralysis. They were not sure what was killing the animals until last week, when they received test results. They suspect the animals contracted West Nile by eating dead aquatic birds that were infected with the disease. - KUTV.
Massive Fish Kill Due To Pollution In A River In Kurger Park, South Africa.
 |
| Underground mine acid flows into a dam after rains. Picture: PUXLEY MAKGATHO |
National Park river, killing a "massive" number of fish, after heavy rains contributed to the overflow of a tailings dam in the Phalaborwa region, South African National Parks (SANParks) said on Monday. Acid mine water contains high levels of heavy metals and salts. It has affected vast areas of South Africa and is an urgent problem in the Witwatersrand, where it is projected that if the problem is not addressed in Africa and South Africa’s economic hub, it will lead to shortages of usable water from this year. Department of Water Affairs compliance monitoring and enforcement director Nigel Adams said criminal charges had been laid against the Bosveld Phosphate mining operation, and the department was also taking administrative action against the miner. The incident was detected by Kruger National Park staff after a tip-off by a local fisherman on December 30. The fisherman had seen the dead fish.
The spill polluted the Selati River, an important tributary of the Olifants River, a significant shared watercourse with Mozambique. In 2013, a team of 30 scientists found that mining, industrial, agricultural and sewage pollution had caused a toxic soup that threatened the future of the Olifants River — estimated by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research as South Africa’s third hardest-working river — and the health of the people and animals living in its catchment basin. SANParks said in a statement that investigations into the environmental impact of the latest spillage continued and would be made public once concluded. There is also continuous monitoring of the rivers affected to assess their condition. Mr Adams said the pollution had been contained and the river’s acidity level was tested every three hours. Water had been released from the Blyde Dam to dilute the pollution, he said. "The situation is improving," he added. SANParks said it had taken "immediate precautions" to ensure safe water supply to tourist camps in the park. Camps dependent on water from the Olifants River were switched to back-up borehole water, with associated water-use restrictions to ensure that demand could be met. - BD Live.
Tons Of Dead Fish Found In A River In San Martino In Rio, Italy.
It will take a week to receive the results on the sample of contaminated water made by ARPA in the areas of Reggio and Rubiera Gazzata and figure out what caused the deaths of tons of fish in the cable Tresinaro New Year's Eve. Doubts about the causes seem very few and the hypothesis that a spill of sewage may have resulted in a mortality of so many fish is almost certain.
Meanwhile, the cable has been cleared by a specialist company and the dead fish were disposed of. First to notice the disaster were some residents of Gazzata, Molino, where it was found the highest concentration of dead fish. The spillage of sewage would be carried out not far away, near the Tassarola, then the liquid would expand along the cable up to San Martino in Rio and close to San Biagio di Correggio.
Thanks to the painstaking work of volunteers and fishermen, nearly three tons of fish, mostly of large size, were saved even though it will be hard to restore the original fauna tract Tresinaro. The police investigations are continuing and increasingly gaining the hypothesis that lead to the disaster has not been a local farmer but a tanker. - Gazzetta Di Reggio. [Translated]
20,000 Birds Killed Since November Due To Disease Around Great Salt Lake, United States.
 |
| Utah wildlife officials have linked the recent rise in bald eagle deaths
to the West Nile virus. Photo credit: birdsguide.blogspot.com |
Wildlife officials confirmed on Tuesday the West Nile virus is responsible for at least 27 bald eagles deaths near the Great Salt Lake area in the month of December. The birds of prey contracted the virus after feeding on infected water birds called eared grebes. Approximately 20,000 of the grebes have died since November outside Salt Lake City, making the outbreak one of the biggest North America has ever seen. Continue reading below to find out what this could mean for the United States’ recently recovered bald eagle population.
An unprecedented wintertime outbreak of West Nile virus has killed more than two dozen bald eagles in Utah and thousands of water birds around the Great Salt Lake, state wildlife officials said on Tuesday. At least 27 bald eagles have died this month in the northern and central parts of Utah from the blood-borne virus, and state biologists reported that five more ailing eagles were responding to treatment at rehabilitation centers. The eagles, whose symptoms included leg paralysis and tremors, are believed to have contracted the disease by preying on sick or dead water birds called eared grebes that were infected by the West Nile virus, said Leslie McFarlane, Utah wildlife disease coordinator. Some 20,000 of the water birds have died in and around the Great Salt Lake since November in an outbreak that may be a record in North America, McFarlane said. Initial testing suggested an infectious bacterial disease such as avian cholera caused the deaths, but findings released on Tuesday showed West Nile virus was the culprit, McFarlane said. The dead birds do not pose a risk to people, Utah Health Department epidemiologist JoDee Baker said in a statement. Yet Baker urged those who find sick or dead birds to avoid handling them. Utah wildlife specialists said bird deaths tied to West Nile virus were unusual in wintertime in Utah since mosquitoes – the primary vector – are not usually active during colder months.
‘NOT BEEN SEEN BEFORE’
McFarlane said Utah had an unusually warm fall that extended the breeding season for mosquitoes to late October. But scientists may ultimately be unable to determine if grebes infected by West Nile virus migrated to Utah or if they contracted it there, she said. West Nile virus, which was first detected in North America in 1999 and has since spread across the continental United States and Canada, can live for a few days in carcasses of infected birds. It can be transmitted to birds of prey and scavengers that feed on them, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the epidemic in Utah may be unprecedented in North America for the masses of birds killed over a broad geographic area and for the number of bald eagles affected, said McFarlane.
“This is really kind of undocumented. Eagles have been known to feed on birds infected with West Nile virus but the transmission hasn’t happened on this large of a scale. And the total number of birds we’re talking about is on a grand scale that may not have been seen before,” she said.
Additional testing of grebes and eagles is underway to shed more light on the mix of factors that converged to trigger the extensive die-off and to determine how much of a risk it might pose to other types of birds.More than 2 million eared grebes stage at the Great Salt Lake amid a yearly winter migration from Canada and U.S. states west of the Mississippi River, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York.The water birds are expected to end their stopover in Utah and fly to the Southwestern United States and Mexico the second week of January, reducing the disease risk to bald eagles, McFarlane said.From 750 to 1,200 bald eagles migrate to wintering grounds in Utah each year, she said.Bald eagles, the national symbol of the United States, were removed from the federal threatened and endangered species list in 2007 after they soared back from near extinction. - Global Animal.
Hundreds, Maybe Thousands, Of Fish Die In A Lake In New South Wales, Australia.
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| DOWN A NOTCH: The warm weather has seen the water level around the
Chinese Tribute Gardens and Chinaman’s Dam decline (left), affecting life below more than above the water (right). |
The Chinese Tribute Gardens are a place of peace, pagodas and, in recent weeks, rotting fish.Young local Linda Hwang visits the gardens daily and was surprised to find familiar ducks, swans and cranes swimming with a smelly new friend.
"One of my dogs, who I walk here everyday, had sussed it out," she said. "He was probably drawn by the smell more than anything.""He wanted to get it and was dragging on the lead.”The fish, an orange two-footer bleached by the sun, is one of the 500 to 1000 estimated to have died in the waters of the gardens and nearby Chinaman's Dam.Ms Hwang spotted the scaly mess on Monday morning, flipping it with a stick and sending it from the shore."I didn't want somebody else, maybe a child, to touch it," she said. "It could be dreadfully full of bacteria."Young Council Director of Planning, Environment and Strategic Services Craig Filmer said the sudden deaths were likely due to a spike in water temperature.
"We couldn't see any pollutants and don't know of any incidents that could have caused it," he said. "We've had a chat with the fisheries doctor, who supplies the area, and it seems a quick temperature change can cause things like this to happen."Mr Filmer said most of the affected fish were small, with only a handful of larger breeds succumbing to the heat."The majority of them were two to four inches," he said. "[But] it's affecting fish from the smallest shrimp to bigger fish like carp."The heat has also seen the water-level around the gardens and dam rapidly decline, something Mr Filmer said was far from unexpected."It's not uncommon for that billabong (pictured) to dry up in summer," he said. "The spring water that naturally feeds that dam probably isn't replenishing as fast as the evaporation is depleting it."
Council fished most of the dead from the water early last week, Mr Filmer affirming the shire's commitment to the area."We are constantly looking at ways of improving the gardens," he said. "It's one of our top tourist draws, as well as a respectful tribute to our sister-city relationship with Lanzhou [in China]." - Young Witness.
10,000 Birds Killed Due To Avian Flu In Bac Ninh, Vietnam.
See the full statistical report HERE. Courtesy of information received on 10/01/2014 from Dr Dong Pham Van, Director General, Chief Veterinary Officer, Department of Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hanoï, Vietnam.
