Fish kills

Update:

Investigations have continued into a fish kill involving several hundred puffer fish at Onslow.   

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) officers have completed field investigations in conjunction with staff from the Shire of Ashburton, collecting information and samples for analysis.

While initial reports indicated the kill was between Beadon Creek and Four Mile Creek, further dried-out dead fish have now also been found at the mouth of the Ashburton River. 

Updates will be issued when further information becomes available. While the event may have been associated with environmental factors, this is not yet confirmed.  The involvement of a single type of fish almost certainly rules out a pollution event or toxic algal bloom. 

While the fish kill appears to have passed, the dead puffer fish continue to present a poisoning risk to dogs so pets should be kept away from these areas. 

If further kills occur, people are urged to stay safe by following the general Department of Health advice. 

End of update.

Investigations have begun into a fish kill involving several hundred puffer fish at Onslow, between Beadon Creek and Four Mile Creek. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) officers are investigating the event in conjunction with staff from the Shire of Ashburton, aiming to collect information and samples for analysis. 

While the event may be associated with environmental factors, this is not yet confirmed. The involvement of a single type of fish almost certainly rules out a pollution event or toxic algal bloom. The dead puffer fish also present a poisoning risk to dogs so pets should be kept away from these areas. The shire has also been removing dead fish to decrease this risk.

Updates will be issued when further information becomes available. In the meantime, people are reminded to stay safe around fish kills and follow this general Department of Health advice.

• not to swim in areas of water with large numbers of dead and decomposing fish because they may contain high levels of bacteria and have an objectionable odour;
• not to fish in water with large numbers of dead fish;
• temporarily not to collect or consume fish from the waters near a fish kill;
• not to collect and use dead fish for bait or consumption because of the risk of high levels of bacteria; and
• not to allow pets and other animals to come into contact with dead or decomposing fish either in the water or on shore.

Fish kills in open ocean areas may provide less evidence of a direct cause and we explore all possible explanations. It may not be possible to identify a single definitive cause, but every effort is made to establish probable factors.