Cold Kills Menhaden Near Virginia Beach

The Virginian-Pilot: Dead menhaden wash ashore in Virginia Beach

Environmental officials are investigating after receiving multiple reports of dead fish washing ashore this week.The reports included the areas of Chesapeake Beach and Croatan Beach, along with the Oceanfront in the areas of 16th Street, from along the streets in the 50s to the 80s, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s website.

The total amount of fish isn’t clear, but one report from Wednesday afternoon refers to “dozens or hundreds” of dead fish seen “all down the beach” from about 85th Street to 89th Street. Posts on social media also showed hundreds of the fish washed up on the beach in Corolla on the Outer Banks.

The affected fish are apparently all Atlantic menhaden, based on a review of the public reports. DEQ, along with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, have reached a consensus that the deaths are due to “natural causes mostly likely due to cold water temperatures,” according to a DEQ spokesperson. Investigators have not found any outward signs of injury or stress in the fish, nor abnormal water readings or pollution.

 

The reports online refer repeatedly to an “ongoing Menhaden cold stun fish kill along the Atlantic Coast.” A cold stun is when the environment becomes so cold that aquatic wildlife become lethargic or appear “stunned,” and is often fatal, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s website. The DEQ spokesperson noted that investigators recorded a temperature of 6 degrees Celsius at Sandbridge fishing pier on Friday, which is below the lower temperature threshold for menhaden.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation released a statement saying this underscores the need for state lawmakers to approve funding for related research that could help understand why these deaths occur. “This incident, which is still unfolding, illustrates how important it is to get a better understanding of our Chesapeake Bay menhaden population,” said CBF Forage Campaign Manager Will Poston in a statement. “This is happening just as the General Assembly is considering funding research that would help us understand menhaden in the Bay, how natural kills happen, and whether the Bay can support a major industrial fishery.”

Very well, but cold stunning couldn't explain the dead stripers at Calvert Cliffs, right?