Photo: Justin Tang Archives The canadian Press
The cause of the fish death is still unknown.
Hundreds of dead fish have been found over the last few days on the shores of Missisquoi bay, in the Montérégie region.
The project manager of the Organization of basin Missisquoi bay, Frédéric Chouinard, indicates that accumulations sometimes significant, ranging up to several fish inert per meter of shore, are formed on some beaches in the region of Venise-en-Quebec. Dead fish were also observed at Philipsburg, on the east side of the bay.
The cause of the fish death is still unknown, as the duration of this episode of mortality.
The Body of the basin of the Missisquoi bay has been noted, however, that a wide variety of fish, carp, and pike, in particular, were found inert on the beaches. A few birds were also found dead.
According to Frédéric Chouinard, strong winds from the south may explain why some sectors are found with large accumulations of dead fish and others do not. The presence of winds from the south have generated strong waves that have pushed the content of the waters to the north.
The Body of the basin of the Missisquoi bay recalled that in 2005, an episode of mortality of fish was analyzed by the ministry of the Environment had concluded that the bacteria flexibactériose was responsible after being developed during an episode of heat.
In 2012, a high mortality had been linked to cyanobacteria. A mass mortality of alewife, a species known for its sensitivity to its environment, was observed in the winter of 2013.
The agency regrets that, due to human activities, primarily Missisquoi bay is undergoing a process of degradation is accelerated due to nutrient inputs that favor the development of cyanobacteria harmful to humans and the local ecosystem.
