MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

“ERIE, Pa. — A state environmental biologist says a large fish kill along the shores of Presque Isle State Park in Erie is “natural” and “no cause for alarm.”

People walking along the shore of the park’s Misery Bay noticed large numbers of dead fish Tuesday and alerted authorities.

Jim Grazio, a Great Lakes biologist, tells the Erie Times-News that 99 percent of the dead fish were gizzard shad. The fish is a freshwater herring that is very sensitive to cold temperatures and temperature changes.

Grazio, who works for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, says the fish began dying in January but they were hidden by ice on the lake. The cold temperatures also slowed the decomposition of the fish, which became visible and washed ashore as the ice melted.”  Source.

“Elmira, N.Y. — Hundreds of dead fish have floated to the surface in one Elmira pond.

The dead fish on Millers pond were first spotted yesterday.

Officials say the cause of death is winterkill.

The DEC says winterkill happens when ice and snow prevent sunlight from entering the pond.

It prevents aquatic plants from producing oxygen, which kills the fish.

But some neighbors aren’t convinced. Kerri Munley of Parkway Drive says, ‘To me it’s not something that seems right but with everything happening around the world, we got fish dying and birds dropping out of the sky, who knows what it is.'”  Read more.

“Western gulls have been dying at an alarming rate over the past decade at San Francisco’s industrial Pier 94, and preliminary results of a state investigation that found deadly mold inside the bird’s lungs are only deepening the mystery surrounding the carnage.

Bird rescuers who recover sick and dying gulls every other day or so from a small industrial patch of waterfront land have long blamed a Darling International-run rendering operation for the deaths.

But, in new findings that are disputed by the bird rescuers, a preliminary California Department of Fish and Game investigation cleared the facility of responsibility for most of the deaths.”  Read more.

Whales beached themselves in New Zealand and Japan before they were hit by earthquakes.

“Rescuers will be renewing their efforts at first light to save the surviving 10 whales from a pod of about 30 that became stranded at South Bruny Island.

The pod became stranded at the island south of Hobart on Thursday.

The Hobart Mercury reports the team of wildlife biologists and rescuers have been pouring buckets of water on the long-finned pilot whales, hoping to keep them alive through the night.

Efforts to guide the surviving whales back into the water had to be postponed because of failing light, but will resume at first light on Friday.”  Source.

“Something fishy’s going on in west suburban Glen Ellyn.

Hundreds of dead fish surfaced in a small subdivision pond called Maryknoll just east of I-355, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Neighbors first noticed the floating fish carcasses a few days ago in the pond that links to several other ponds in Glen Ellyn and Lisle by a stream.

No one knows why the fish are dying, but residents say the smell is awful.

This is the second time in as many months bizarre fish deaths were reported in the Chicago area.”  Read more.

“KOTA TINGGI, March 13 (Bernama) — A seabass breeder was shocked today to find more than 50,000 of the fish dead in the cages he kept at the mouth of Sungai Sedili Kecil, about 50km from here.

Fifty-seven-year-old Zakaria Jaafar estimated his loss at RM320,000. He made the discovery when he and three workers inspected his 114 cages at about 10am. ‘I do not know why the fish died. I have never experienced anything like this since I started breeding seabass 12 years ago,’ Zakaria said.” Read more.