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A parasite and a bacterial disease are behind the large fish die-off on Seneca Lake last month.
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, samples of Alewife, a forage fish, were analyzed by the Cornell University of Veterinary Medicine, and their death was determined to be caused by the parasite Chilodonella and the bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila, which causes a disease in fish called Motile Aeromonas Septicemia.
The department says neither the bacteria nor the parasite have impacts on human health and it did not note any appreciable impact on the Alewife population.
The DEC was notified of the die-off on June 20. A similar occurrence happened in 2017.
The department encourages anyone that encounters a fish kill in DEC Region 8 to contact Regional Fisheries staff at (585) 226-5343 or [email protected].
