06-01-2004, 11:57 PM
LARGE S.C. FISH KILL AFFECTS CARP ONLY[/url]
A significant fish kill that has now peaked in the Santee Cooper system affected common carp only, widely considered to be an undesirable species introduced to U.S. waters in the 1800s.
[url "http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/news/img/carpkil2.jpg"]![[Image: carpkil2.gif]](http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/news/img/carpkil2.gif)
[/url] A disease-related fish kill affecting common carp only has peaked in the Santee Cooper lakes system according to Scott Lamprecht, regional fisheries biologist for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources at Dennis Wildlife Center in Bonneau. The disease affecting the carp has been initially identified as columnaris-a common bacterial disease always present in the water-by the Southeastern Cooperative Fisheries Disease Group at Auburn University, and specimens have been sent to England for additional screening.
"This outbreak of columnaris in the Santee Cooper system appears to be affecting only carp and not other popular food and game fish species," Lamprecht said. The dead and dying carp we are seeing can easily number in the tens of thousands, first noted at the beginning of May in the Santee River. One recent count amounted to 50 carp carcasses along 150 yards of the Re-Diversion Canal shoreline.
Though carp are utilized by a small number of anglers, the removal of carp from our state waters can actually be viewed as a positive thing since they compete directly with popular game fish in the organisms they eat and physical destruction of gamefish nests. Some states have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding carp removal programs, since carp have had greater impacts on gamefish in their regions. It seems that environmental conditions were just right-cool spring temperatures and abundant carp-for the ever-present bacterial disease to impact Santee Cooper carp this spring. A second theory is that the strain of columnaris is somehow specific to carp.
Anadromous American shad have completed their life cycle and are currently dying in a fashion similar to pacific salmon species, Lamprecht said "This shad die-off is a natural event and occurs at this time every year. With rebuilding of the American shad population over the last ten years, this phenomenon has gotten larger each year."
"We are still closely monitoring the carp die-off to determine its extent and that it does not begin to affect valuable game and food fish species," Lamprecht said. "We think the carp kill has possibly run its course and peaked already. The bacterial fish disease columnaris poses no human health risk. Other fish species taken by hook and line will be no problem to consume. The smell from rotting carcasses that wash up on the beaches of lakeside homes will be a week-long short term problem. Carp in South Carolina waters can reach 25 pounds or so. The natural system is capable of absorbing the additional fertility from the decomposing carp and should not result in any lasting water quality issues.
Fishermen or state residents with concerns or who note other fish-not carp-dying in the Santee Cooper system can call the DNR's Dennis Wildlife Center in Bonneau near Moncks Corner at (843) 825-3387.
- Written by Mike Creel -
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A significant fish kill that has now peaked in the Santee Cooper system affected common carp only, widely considered to be an undesirable species introduced to U.S. waters in the 1800s.
[url "http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/cec/news/img/carpkil2.jpg"]
[/url] A disease-related fish kill affecting common carp only has peaked in the Santee Cooper lakes system according to Scott Lamprecht, regional fisheries biologist for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources at Dennis Wildlife Center in Bonneau. The disease affecting the carp has been initially identified as columnaris-a common bacterial disease always present in the water-by the Southeastern Cooperative Fisheries Disease Group at Auburn University, and specimens have been sent to England for additional screening. "This outbreak of columnaris in the Santee Cooper system appears to be affecting only carp and not other popular food and game fish species," Lamprecht said. The dead and dying carp we are seeing can easily number in the tens of thousands, first noted at the beginning of May in the Santee River. One recent count amounted to 50 carp carcasses along 150 yards of the Re-Diversion Canal shoreline.
Though carp are utilized by a small number of anglers, the removal of carp from our state waters can actually be viewed as a positive thing since they compete directly with popular game fish in the organisms they eat and physical destruction of gamefish nests. Some states have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding carp removal programs, since carp have had greater impacts on gamefish in their regions. It seems that environmental conditions were just right-cool spring temperatures and abundant carp-for the ever-present bacterial disease to impact Santee Cooper carp this spring. A second theory is that the strain of columnaris is somehow specific to carp.
Anadromous American shad have completed their life cycle and are currently dying in a fashion similar to pacific salmon species, Lamprecht said "This shad die-off is a natural event and occurs at this time every year. With rebuilding of the American shad population over the last ten years, this phenomenon has gotten larger each year."
"We are still closely monitoring the carp die-off to determine its extent and that it does not begin to affect valuable game and food fish species," Lamprecht said. "We think the carp kill has possibly run its course and peaked already. The bacterial fish disease columnaris poses no human health risk. Other fish species taken by hook and line will be no problem to consume. The smell from rotting carcasses that wash up on the beaches of lakeside homes will be a week-long short term problem. Carp in South Carolina waters can reach 25 pounds or so. The natural system is capable of absorbing the additional fertility from the decomposing carp and should not result in any lasting water quality issues.
Fishermen or state residents with concerns or who note other fish-not carp-dying in the Santee Cooper system can call the DNR's Dennis Wildlife Center in Bonneau near Moncks Corner at (843) 825-3387.
- Written by Mike Creel -
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