Dead Fish Checked For Fungal Diseases

Newcastle Herald

Friday August 22, 2008

By MATTHEW KELLY

DEAD fish collected from Myall Lakes are being tested for a range of fungal diseases, the Department of Primary Industries said yesterday.

"The testing process is very rigorous," department spokesman Brett Fifield said.

"We don't expect to know the cause for a least a week and we won't be speculating."

The Herald reported yesterday that thousands of fish are suspected to have died in the area during the past fortnight, many washing up on the shoreline in recent days.

Many of the fish, including bream, blackfish or luderick, silver biddy and Australian bass, found floating around the foreshore at Mungo Brush, had a brown fungus growth on their mouths and gills.

Fisheries officers were alerted to the fish kill on Wednesday and collected sample fish immediately, Mr Fifield said.

He said water quality testing in the lakes system in recent days had not produced any abnormal results.

"When it comes to fish kills, you often find the cause of the event has passed by the time you start seeing dead fish," Mr Fifield said.

Anyone who sees dead or sick fish in the area is asked to call the department's hotline on 1800 043 536.

Editorial Page 8

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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