The Great lLakes must be an environmental disaster area?
The Oil Drum | The Round-Up: May 8th 2007
Quote:
Tens of thousands of fish have been bleeding to death from an aggressive Ebola-like virus in North America's Great Lakes. Officials fear that the plague will spread to devastate waters across the continent.
The epidemic - caused by what one US government scientist calls "the most important and dangerous fish virus known worldwide" - is believed to have been brought into the lakes by ocean-going ships.
It is focussing attention on the scores of alien species already spreading uncontrolled in the lakes, which contain a fifth of the world's fresh water. State governments are belatedly trying to introduce measures to control this "living pollution", only to be sued by shipping companies for "placing an undue burden" on them.
The killer - called viral haemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) - has already affected some 37 species of fish in the lakes, including salmon, trout, perch and white bass. Almost every species caught commercially or for sport in the lakes' $4bn (£2bn) fishing business has been hit.
Victims bloat up and bleed from bulging eyes before dying. The extraordinarily virulent disease is sweeping rapidly through the lakes and is expected to start going on full rampage again within the next couple of weeks when the water warms up to its favoured temperature.
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