Hundreds of whitefish found dead in Yellowstone River

State wildlife officials found hundreds of dead whitefish in the Yellowstone River above Livingston on Friday, confirming reports of a large-scale fish kill. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a news release that staff found 382 dead whitefish on the east bank of the river during a float from the Loch Leven Fishing Access Site to Pine Creek Fishing Access Site. “We consider this to be a significant event,” FWP regional supervisor Sam Sheppard said in the release of August 12. “Whitefish play an important role in the ecosystem and can be an indicator of overall river health.” However, since Aug. 12, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has counted 4,000 dead mountain whitefish, along with smaller numbers of rainbow trout, Yellowstone cutthroat, longnose suckers, sculpin and longnose dace. The agency estimate that tens of thousands of fish may be dead. The culprit is a microscopic, capsule-shaped parasite called Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae. The disease, Proliferative Kidney Disease (PKD), has been killing farmed trout for decades. In the last 20 years, it has taken an increasing toll on wild trout populations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. It has also killed salmon in Norway and Arctic char in Iceland. There are fewer long-term records about outbreaks in North America. But there have been incidents in two isolated locations in central Montana. Recent small outbreaks have also occurred in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, according to Montana park officials. The magnitude of this kill, they say, is unprecedented for the region, "unlike anything our fish health specialists have seen," the agency posted in a web bulletin. The Yellowstone fish kill comes at the height of the fishing season. Local guides are taking a hit from the closure, and nobody is happy when there are thousands of dead fish floating in the river. The agency is focused on removing dead fish, trying to prevent the spread of the disease.
Sources: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, August 12, 2016
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/environment/hundreds-of-white…
Inside Climate News, September 2, 2016
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01092016/yellowstone-river-fish-dyin…