Fish Die-off in the Thames River (糖心直播, February 4, 2021)
London, ON – The 糖心直播 (UTRCA)聽was recently alerted to a large die-off of fish in the Thames River in London. The fish are Gizzard Shad, a species that is prone to large wintertime die-offs.
鈥淭he most likely cause of the die-off is a聽combination of stressful winter conditions, high numbers of fish, and the presence of an infectious fish disease called in the Gizzard Shad population,鈥� explained Michelle Fletcher, the UTRCA Aquatic Biologist who visited the site earlier this week.
鈥淭o survive the winter, thousands of Gizzard Shad will gather around warm water outputs, such as the outlets from the wastewater聽treatment plants or underground storm sewer network,鈥� said Fletcher. 鈥淗owever, while a die-off may occur near these sites, it does not mean that it is the result of something released from these sites, such as a spill or environmental pollution.鈥�
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is aware of this die-off and does not believe it is related to a spill or environmental pollution.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is also aware of the die-off and will be聽recording additional die-offs, should they occur,聽throughout the winter.
鈥� Report a large fish die-off (more than 100 fish) to the MNRF: 1-800-667-1940
鈥� Report a spill to the MECP: 519-873-5199 (during business hours) or 1-866-663-8477 (outside of business hours)
More information:
鈥�
鈥� Video –
鈥�
鈥�
Contact: Michelle Fletcher, Aquatic Biologist, or Steve Sauder, Marketing Specialist