MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

Associated Press – “SANDUSKY, Ohio – Wildlife officials are doing tests on waterfowl carcasses and water samples in an effort to determine what killed more than 50 geese and ducks at a state care facility for veterans in northern Ohio.

Police tell the Sandusky Register the birds were collected and buried last weekend at the grounds of the Ohio Veterans Home near Sandusky. The property includes a nursing home and living spaces for clients that require less assistance.

A spokesman for the Division of Wildlife says water samples and dead birds were collected from the property for testing, though he wasn’t sure how quickly the results might be available.” Source – newsnet5.com.

By PATRICK CALLAN, The London Free Press – “Hundreds of dead fish lined the banks of Pottersburg Creek Thursday morning and dozens more could been seen floating belly up from a small bridge on Industrial Rd. south of Oxford. St.

The roughly 500 dead fish ranged from a few inches to a foot long. The stench of fish hovered above the 150- metre stretch at the most westerly point of the creek where the dead fish were found.

The Ministry of Environment said water samples were taken from the creek Wednesday and testing is being done to determine if the fish kill happened because of a spill or natural causes.

Rick Pedlow, city of London sewer operations division manager, said the city found out about the fish kill Wednedsay and is working closely with the Ministry of Environment – who is taking the lead.

‘We’re just a resource for the ministry. They will give us direction,’ Pedlow said.

By Thursday afternoon, the city had begun cleaning up the dead fish.

The Upper Thames Conservation Authority said the fish — creek chub, darters, bluntnose minnow, rock bass and white suckers — most likely died of natural causes.” Read more.

RTE News – “It is understood that the problem was first noticed this morning and that large quantities of dead fish have been seen flowing downstream all day.

A statement on the Wicklow County Council website said that they have temporarily shut off raw water supply intake from Vartry River to our Water Treatment plant at Cronroe as a precaution.

Local sources said reports had been received of dead fish as high up the river as Roundwood, and as far down the river as Ashford.

It is also understood that a dead heron has also been found, although it is not clear if this is related to the fish kill.

A source in Inland Fisheries Ireland confirmed the matter is under investigation, but would not speculate about how extensive the problem is or what the cause might be.” Source – RTE News.

AAP – “THE death toll of vulnerable green sea turtles south of Townsville has shown no signs of slowing down, with more sick animals washing up on beaches today.

Queensland authorities have carried out two helicopter surveys after more than 20 of the vulnerable species, mostly adult females, were discovered washed up on beaches around Upstart Bay last week.

Two more were found on Friday on Wunjunga Beach, about 100 kilometres south of Townsville, and their cause of death continue to baffle scientists.

A total of 73 dead turtles have now been discovered.

Marty McLaughlin, operations manager at Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services, says the turtles were nourished with no obvious signs of illness.

‘This is classified as an unusual event,’ Mr McLaughlin told AAP.

‘We now have better data about the number of turtles, but they are continuing to wash up.

‘We still can’t rule out poisoning as toxicology reports have yet to be finalised.'” Read more.

By Kimberly Barbour, WRCB – “CHATSWORTH, MURRAY COUNTY, GA (WRCB) – The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is investigating why several thousand fish have died in one Murray County lake.

Georgia DNR biologists say they’ve been getting complaints since Saturday from boaters, fishers and swimmers on Carter’s Lake.

It doesn’t take long to spot fish belly up on Carter’s lake. Silver sprinkles cover the blue water from end to end.

‘Dead fish just floating, I just wondered what was causing it,’ boater Jana Manous said.

‘I noticed that a lot of shad were dead,’ fisherman Carl Melear added.

It’s the first time frequent Carter’s Lake fisherman Carl Melear says he’s ever seen this many dead fish.

‘I don’t know what might be causing a kill like that,’ Melear said.

With lingering questions, intense heat and several hours with no catch, he decided to pack up early.

A few days into their investigation, DNR officials say they’re leaning toward it being natural causes instead of toxins in the water. That’s because all the dead fish seem to be the same species.

‘If it was a toxin in the water or low oxygen in the water, it would be killing all different types of species,’ said Jim Hakala, Georgia Dept. Of Natural Resources Fisheries Biologist.

State biologists came out to the lake this weekend to look into the reports and after seeing it for themselves, say nearly all of the dead fish are eight to ten inch gizzard shad.” Read more.

The Telegraph – “THE mysterious death of 22 green turtles, a protected species, is puzzling experts in North Queensland.

The experts have not ruled out poisoning and even drowning as a cause.

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection is investigating the deaths of the turtles found at Wunjunga Beach, about 100 kilometres south of Townsville.

The department’s director of threatened species, Wolf Sievers, said the vulnerable animals have been washing up on the beach for over a week.

‘It is very unusual for this many turtles to have stranded on one beach and we will be making every effort to establish what may have happened,’ Mr Sievers said.

Senior turtle expert Dr Ian Bell said that initial investigations found no injuries, no obvious signs of malnutrition or illness.

‘It’s a bit like turtle CSI, it’s all about ruling out possible alternatives,’ Dr Bell said.

‘We’re ruling out starvation. It doesn’t look like it’s any infectious type of disease, and it leaves us with two possibilities.

‘One is potential poisoning, and we’re also looking at the possibility of a drowning.

‘At this stage we really don’t know.'” Read more.

“Authorities in Uttar Pradesh Monday ordered a probe into the death of thousands of fishes which have died in the river Gomti here.

The possible reasons that could have led to such largescale deaths, Jal Nigam officials said, would be looked into.

The deaths came to light when morning walkers and other residents who take bath in the river banks at Tuliyaghat saw thousands of fishes floating in the water.

No sooner did the news spread that fishermen jumped into the river with nets to gather them.

‘If true, this matter is serious and a thorough probe would be ordered into the death of the fishes,’ said Rajendra Kumar, chief engineer of the Jal Nigam unit.

Greens say that in the past few days the water level of the river had gone down considerably, leading to oxygen scarcity.

In the past weeks, there have been talks of water being released into the river by the Sharda canal but the depleting water level of the Gomti speaks otherwise.

Officials say that from time to time they check the oxygen levels in the river and it invariably comes around 5-6 miligram per litre, which is considered safe.

Fishes, they say, die after the oxygen level slips below the 3 mg per litre.

There is an immediate need for dredging in many parts of the river, official sources told IANS, but added that the Jal Nigam was ignoring this for a long time.” Source – daijiworld.com.