UPDATED: 4-Million Dead In Pamlico River Fish Kill

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Posted: 6:56 PM Aug 6, 2008
Last Updated: 9:33 PM Aug 7, 2008
Reporter: Dave Jordan/Christine Kennedy

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The massive fish kill death toll on the pamlico river has now risen to almost 4 million.

Thursday, environmentalist tested the river and collected water samples to determine the cause of the fish kill. Though they are not certain, they say the oppressive heat over the past week, could have sucked out the oxygen in the water and suffocated the estimated 3.9 million menhaden fish.

Environmentalist plan to keep an eye on the situation and collect as much data as possible to clearly determine the cause of the fish kill.

ORGINAL STORY:
The Pamlico Tar River Foundation says new figures from the state show 3-million fish died in the fish kill on the Pamlico River Wednesday.

The PTRF Riverkeeper and the North Carolina River Response Team are testing water samples to determine the cause of the kill.

The fish kill was discovered near Wichard's Beach and stretches over three miles east along the Pamlico River. Officials say the fish kill mainly consists of Menhaden and some Croaker.

PTRF Riverkeeper Heather Jacobs says the oxygen levels were low Wednesday morning, but returned to normal in the afternoon. She says human error could have caused the fish kill. Jacobs says, "And then there's the human factor as in the fertilizer and our wastewater that provides specialized nitrogen into the river system, it can exacerbate the problem that we see today."

Jacobs says the fish will eventually sink to the bottom of the river. She says people should stay out of the water for at least 48 hours.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Matt Location: Emerald Isle on Feb 23, 2009 at 06:21 AM
Wow. Even the Shrimpers don't kill that many fish. There was a Comet passing Aquarius that week---perhaps it was mass suicide.

Posted by: VBush Location: MHCY on Aug 8, 2008 at 12:52 AM
I just want to know who is counting the fish?

Posted by: bandanaman247 on Aug 8, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Thank you chuck very well put and if you wont put up my comments back to JP why did you post his calling me out ?

Posted by: Bandanaman247 Location: PAMLICO BEACH on Aug 7, 2008 at 10:17 PM
i put back money in the river everyday and as for equipment have you try to buy a crab pot or boat? they dont give it away as for the river not being reopen to the shrimpers that just might be what's the matter and just let me say being you know so much about it wheres the shrimp at this year? yes we had a few but that was brown shrimp wheres the green tails at just so you'll no thats the most shrimp that is here in us waterways are greentails...know what youre talking about and just so you'll know wait until they start spraying cotton then we all will see a fish kill it happens every year

Posted by: crabby chuck Location: aurora on Aug 7, 2008 at 08:30 PM
first I want to know why the media reports that "it could have been caused by human factors" but they (the media) are never as quick to report what the final findings are. second,,,, us fisherman have been screaming for tighter water quality restrictions and paying millions of dollars for(as well as the tax payers)for study after study after study for years and years to no avail except marine fisheries and sea grant needing,,,,more studies. third,,,its the recreational and commercial fisherman that fund the vast majority of all the ramps, marine and wildlife officer salaries and all the other things associated with the waters in the state so don't tell us we don't put back,,,finally,,,many of these fish kills are naturally occurring but you never hear about that from the press or the "river keepers",,,I guess that way they can get a more exciting story out of it and in the river keepers world maybe more funding. lets see if the final report is reported.

Posted by: JP Location: Washington on Aug 7, 2008 at 05:51 PM
To bandanaman247 the farmers put money into there crops along with there equipment. What do you do to help put back the fish and crabs you get out of the river? I hope that they do not reopen our rivers to shrimping eather because we have just got the fish numbers and shrimp numbers back up. You fisherman just keep taking but put nothing back at all.

Posted by: Fisherman Location: Pamlico river on Aug 7, 2008 at 04:52 PM
All I want to know is when is the fish fry ?

Posted by: Alicia Location: New Bern on Aug 7, 2008 at 10:19 AM
I am a little bit concerned about all the blaming it on oxygen levels. Was it really? I remember a time they tried to blame a big fish kill in Carteret county on red tide and we just so happened to see Navy ships off the coast at that particular time and something yellow floating in the water off of the coast from top to bottom and the surfer's were coming in from the water and throwing up and my doberman threw up just from sniffing the sea foam at that time. I am convinced that that was a chemical spill and I will be till I die. The government came in to help with SBA loans at that time but what help is a loan when you have apply for it and then get turned down and even if you did get it it still needs to be paid back. I am not convinced on the oxygen excuse. I think a further investigation needs to be done to make sure of this claim. We deserve the truth!

Posted by: Concerned Location: Greenville on Aug 7, 2008 at 09:47 AM
Is it possible the trouble is from jet skiers?

Posted by: LD Location: NC on Aug 6, 2008 at 08:41 PM
That's right bandanaman247 where can the commerical fisherman pick up their checks? My family depends on commercial fishing to pay bills and put food on the table and with this going on we are in TROUBLE!!

Posted by: bandanaman247 Location: Pamlico Beach on Aug 6, 2008 at 07:54 PM
if human error could have caused the fish kill i want to know who it was and where can i get my check the famers get it all the time but do you think anybody is going to help the comm fishermen of this state? this is my income that theyre messing with now and just wait and see nobody is going to even think about the money we lost from this..

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 6, 2008 at 07:41 PM
Does someone actually go out and count the dead fish to get that number?

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