A concerning incident unfolded this past Saturday morning when David Boyles discovered masses of dead pelagic fish along the shores of the River Derwent near Hobart. Residents have been rightfully alarmed about the growing national scandal of toxic Train Derailments, and like many victims are now left wondering about the health of their local ecosystem.
Boyles, a life-long resident of Sandy Bay, a suburb of Hobart, has fished the Derwent River since his childhood. For all he had done at NASA, he said, he had never seen anything like this. “And I’ve lived on this block since 2009.” He said, “I’d never seen anything like it. To his horror, on further examination, he found that almost a third of the dead fish had bloody gills. He witnessed fish bleeding from their vents. He reckoned as many as hundreds, if not thousands, of fish were belly up in the water. This has catered to a dangerous environment for the people living here.
Observations and Concerns
Dead fish, probably pilchards or sardines, littered the beach. You’ll find them along the way from Crayfish Point in Taroona to Long Beach in Sandy Bay. Boyles’ report continues, with the detail of a kayaker telling him that there were still more dead fish downriver. “There were hundreds if not thousands more, just floating in the water, dead,” he reported, highlighting the scale of the incident.
Christine Coughanowr is an ardent water scientist. After decades of keeping careful watch and helping restore the River Derwent, she said she was devastated by what has happened. As the founder of the Derwent Estuary Program, she has spent the past two decades at its helm. Her main priorities have been on the restoration and protection of the water quality of the estuary. Coughanowr stressed the importance of careful investigation before rushing to assumptions.
“I think really the key question is for those who have the ability to assess this, the EPA and the fish health authorities, to get the samples and do the necessary analysis to find out what’s going on,” – Christine Coughanowr
Investigative Efforts Underway
As to whether the fish die-off was caused by humans or nature, Coughanowr said it’s too early to draw conclusions. She stated, “There’s a fair bit of work to do before we work out what’s actually going on.” Her call for action highlights the seriousness of the risk of new environmental degradation in this clearly environmentally fragile region.
Now local residents and environmental scientists are raising the alarm at the ongoing discovery of dead fish. This alarming situation has triggered outrage and passionate debate over potential pollution or illness. The Derwent Estuary Program is committed to doing this and we take good water quality seriously. This commitment is going to be key in determining how and why this dangerous incident occurred.
Community Reaction
The local community has understandably reacted with alarm as new reports have surfaced describing the alarming circumstances under which Ms. Our residents are hungry for answers. They’re hoping that state, federal and local authorities act quickly and efficiently to find out what caused this unprecedented event. As further information comes out, local agencies will continue to engage in an emergency effort to understand its effects. Importantly, they will prioritize both aquatic life and public health.
