UNDIAGNOSED DIE-OFF, FISH - NEW ZEALAND: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

****************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: 5 Jan 2011
Source:Stuff.co.nz [edited]



Hundreds of dead snapper have washed up on Coromandel beaches, leaving
holidaymakers perplexed. People at Little Bay and Waikawau Bay, on the
north east of the peninsula, were stunned when children came out of the sea
with armfuls of the fish and within minutes the shore was littered with them.

A resident, whose family have lived at Little Bay for the last 30 years,
said she had never seen anything like it. "It was so surreal," she said.
"It's such an incredible waste -- it could've fed the whole northern tip of
the Coromandel."

People with binoculars said the snapper stretched as far as they could see
and boaties reported "a carpet of floating fish further out to sea all
along the coast".

"We initially thought 'woohoo a free feed' but they had really cloudy eyes
and you could see the birds had been at them. Some of them had no eyes,"
the Little Bay resident said.

Her parents called the Department of Conservation and were told it was most
likely the fish had starved due to weather conditions, but Pearsall did not
think that was the case as many of the fish looked big and healthy. The
Fisheries Ministry are currently investigating the situation and said they
could not yet say what the cause was.

"Any commercial operators must record and report their catch," said
ministry field operations officer for Waikato, Bay of Plenty and the
Coromandel Brendon Mikkelsen. "They're equally as concerned as we are ...
it's not in anybody's interests for fish to be abandoned at sea."

Mikkelsen said it had happened before but given the quantity of fish it was
very concerning. People saw floating snapper in the water as early as 5:00
am yesterday [4 Jan 2011] but the ministry only received reports 12 hours
later. Mikkelsen urged people to get in touch as soon as they saw anything
amiss.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[Surely some of these fish have been sent to a laboratory for proper
necropsy and testing. I might suggest red tide, but there have no reports
of red tide this time of year near New Zealand. Hopefully we will have an
authoritative report soon.

A map of the area may be found at

- Mod.TG]

[see also:
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (03): (AR), RFI 20110107.0085
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (02): (MD) 20110106.0058
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA: (AR), freshwater drum 20110104.0035
2010
---
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - Kenya (02): water poisoning susp. RFI
20100915.3349
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (16): (NE, NY) 20100828.3068
Undiagnosed die off, fish - USA (15): (MS) 20100807.2694
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (14): (CA) 20100805.2640
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (13): (MN) catfish 20100804.2630
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (12): (MN) catfish 20100731.2573
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (11): (NC) 20100728.2532
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (10): (PA, ID) corr. 20100718.2410
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (09): (PA, ID) corr. 20100718.2409
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (08): (WA) natural causes 20100718.2408
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (07): (HI) puffer fish 20100716.2384
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (06): (PA, ID) 20100716.2373
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA: (NY), viral hem. septicemia susp.
20100519.1649
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - Kenya: (Lake Naivasha) 20100221.0592
2009
---
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - China: (FJ) RFI 20090715.2520]

....................sb/tg/ejp/sh



*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:

************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at .
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to
an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name
name and affiliation, it may not be posted. You may unsub-
scribe at .
For assistance from a human being, send mail to:
.
############################################################
############################################################