There seemed to be more questions than answers Wednesday after thousands of dead fish from a number of species washed ashore in southwestern Nova Scotia.
The fish have been washing up at a beach in the Digby area, and many are still wondering why. Residents say they have been watching it happen for a month.
“There's everything here – starfish, scallops, lobster,” said local resident Chester White. “We had hurricanes before, you get the odd lobster up on the beach and that, but this here, we've never seen this before."
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are investigating the cause.
“Infections and viral agents, we've been looking at toxins that may be present in the water, we've been looking at predation with marine mammals that can sometimes pool smaller fish into bays and shallow waters," said Doug Wenzel of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography.
The test results have yet to come through. Some have speculated that it has something to do with earthquakes or the supermoon, and the tides that came with it.
Other things have been ruled out.
“We've not found any evidence of infections or viral agents, although I should point out to your viewers that we do have a couple of tests that we're waiting for results," Wentzell said.
If the remaining viral and bacterial tests fail to turn up anything, investigators will then test the water for oxygen levels, temperature, food supply, and other potential contributing factors.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ron Shaw.
