Did 'Climate Change' Kill 10,000 Tons of Herring in Kolgrafafjordur, Iceland?
Dead Fish
A Lot of Dead Herring
The Local Ecosystem Could be in Danger
If waste is to blame for the Herring deaths, then the local ecosystem is in danger. Volunteers have been feeding the abundant supply of dead Herring to mink and other animals that eat fish.
An American Mink
Herring Dead. Who (or what) is at Fault?
What killed the Herring in Kolgrafafjordur, Iceland? Is 'climate change' to be blamed for this catastrophe?
That is an excellent question. So far, the only answers have come from Iceland's Marine Research Institute. The Director, Johann Sigurjonsson, has suggested that the large population of Herring simply depleted the oxygen in the shallow fjord.
Additional Theories Abound
Some Icelanders believe it is somehow related to 2004 construction of a landfill and bridge taking place in the region. No solid evidence has linked the construction to the mass Herring death.
A third reason has also been suggested. Meteorologist Einar Sveinbjornsson believes that the Herring died from a "sudden cooling caused by relentless northerly winds." His theory has not been proved correct to date, either.
Fear Looming Among the Fishermen
Many fishermen in Iceland are fearing the worst: that the Herring fishery is in danger, since the quantity of dead Herring has been estimated to be 10,000 tons of dead fish.
Iceland's Marine Research Institute will continue to investigate this phenomenon, taking the situation to be a very serious one to the country of Iceland, and their fishing industry. The value of the Herring lost in February was estimated to be around $9.8 Million (in USD). Even more disturbing, is that this is not the first time that this has happened.
In December 2012, an even larger quantity of Herring turned up dead. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 tons of Herring died. Children collected and sold these dead fish as animal feed to locals in the community, raising a total of $1,800.00.
As a direct response to these recent events with the Herring, the government of Iceland has increased funding to monitor the area.
Answer to Hub Title: Did Climate Change Kill the Herring in Kolgrafafjordur, Iceland?
Nobody has yet revealed a definitive answer, but climate change does not appear to be the direct cause of the mass killing of Herring.
Thousands of Dead Herring in Iceland
© 2013 Zack Love
