Fish kill, water discoloration alarm Yap

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

The government of Yap has launched an initial investigation into water discoloration and mass fish mortality, which scientists suspect may have been caused by an algal bloom, raising public health and food security concerns.

“Most of the lagoons of the island are affected,” Yap Gov.  Francis Itimai said, advising residents to suspend fishing activity. “We are still trying to find out the cause.”

The state government was first alerted to the incident on June 13, after residents observed unusual water discoloration and dead fish washing ashore around Lamotrek.

“This is a first time in history for the island to experience this incident,” Itimai said in an email to the Pacific Island Times.

The Disaster Coordination Office reported earlier this week that seawater discoloration and fish mortality affected several outer islands, including Satawal, Fechailap, Elato, Ifalik, Lamotrek and Eaurpik.

“At this time, the exact cause has not been confirmed. However, based on the visual evidence and information currently available, one possible explanation is a harmful algal bloom," states a press release from the Yap government.

An algal bloom is a rapid increase in the population of algae in water, which scientists say can be toxic or harmless depending on the species and environmental conditions.

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The outbreak occurs when algae, microscopic plant-like organisms that live in aquatic environments and use photosynthesis to grow excessively, proliferate in the water.

Public health officials warned that some algal blooms can produce toxins that may cause skin and eye irritation, respiratory issues and stomach illness.

 Officials advised the public not to harvest or consume any seafood, warning that toxins can accumulate in fish and shellfish.

Itimai said the government has not received any report of sickness associated with the fish kill event.

“We have not issued a state of emergency until we get more information and recommendations from our overseas partners,” Itimai said.

On June 16, the governor convened a meeting with relevant agencies and sought assistance from the national Department of Environment and Climate Change Management.

“We have sent the photos to our counterparts at the national government to assess them with our outside of FSM experts and we are awaiting their response,” Itimai said.

Dr. Laurie Raymundo, a marine scientist at the University of Guam, said water discoloration could be caused by several factors, including pollutants, red tides, and silt from rivers.

"Dead fish usually indicate low to zero dissolved oxygen in the water, but toxins in the water can cause mortality as well," she said.

However, with scarce information, it's "pretty hard to say what the cause is."

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