DISASTER PRECURSORS: The Latest Incidents Of Strange Animal Behavior And Warnings From the Nature - Mass Bees Die-Offs In Portland Area, Oregon And Mass Die-Off Of Fish And Crabs "Panics Fishermen" In Paradip, India; Dad & Son In ICU After Wasp Attack In Altamonte Springs, Florida, United States; 20 Dogs Die From Arizona Heat; Alien Trap-Jaw Ants Spread Along Gulf Coast! [PHOTOS+VIDEOS]

June 24, 2014 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.

Mass Bees Die-Offs Reported In Portland Area, Oregon

Department of Agriculture inspector Isaac Stapleton examines the honeybee hives of Jon Beaty in Estacada after
they have recently suffered mass bee die off. (Photo: Thomas Patterson / Statesman Journal)

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is investigating at least three Portland-area mass bee die-offs that appear to be linked to pesticides.

Beekeepers in several locations have reported entire colonies dying suddenly.

Estacada beekeeper Jon Beaty checked his hives Wednesday night.

"I noticed that there were hundreds of bees lying on the ground in front of the hives dead, which was shocking to me," Beaty said.

Sandy beekeeper Dena Rash Guzman noticed tens of thousands of dead bees in and around two of her eight hives Wednesday.

"I live in the middle of nowhere on a 60-acre sustainable farm," she said. "We've had beehives here for four years and never have had this happen."

Guzman called expert Matt Reed, owner of Portland's Bee Thinking beekeeper supply store, who came out to take a look.

"When a honeybee colony dies en masse like that, usually it is pesticides," Reed said. "A lot of them were dropping off the combs as I inspected them."

Reed said he's seen a rash of similar reports on Portland-area beekeeping Facebook forums this week.

Beaty and Guzman suspect aerial spraying of nearby nurseries and Christmas tree farms.

An ODA pesticide investigator took samples at the hives Friday morning, ODA spokesman Bruce Pokarney said.

(Photo: Thomas Patterson / Statesman Journal)

(Photo: Thomas Patterson / Statesman Journal)

Eugene pesticide operator has license suspended

The state has suspended a Eugene pesticide operator's licensefollowing an incident this week that left about 1,000 bees dead.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture found that an employee of Glass Tree Care and Spray Service sprayed the neonicotinoid pesticide imidacloprid on 17 flowering linden trees at an apartment complex Tuesday.

Neonicotinoids can harm bees if used improperly.

It's the same situation that caused a highly publicized die-off of 50,000 bumblebees at a Wilsonville Target a year ago.

That incident led to the formation of a legislative task force on pollinator health that will begin meeting this month.

It also led Oregon to require that neonicotinoid pesticides imidacloprid and dinotefuran sold in the state be labeled with instructions prohibiting use on linden trees and other tilia species.

Glass Tree Care was using a product with an old label on it, ODA said. But older labels state the pesticides cannot be used when the trees are in bloom.


WATCH: Mass bee die-offs reported in Portland area.

By law, pesticide applicators must follow label instructions.

Most of the pollinators impacted were bumblebees, ODA spokesman Bruce Pokarney said. Some honeybees also were found dead and dying.

As a condition of license reinstatement, Glass Tree Care and Spray Service must have the applicator retake and pass examinations required for a commercial pesticide applicator; the company must cooperate with ODA, to the department's satisfaction, in preventing or mitigating further harm from incident; and the company must provide to ODA a written plan describing how it will set in place policies or protocols to prevent recurrences of incidents involving pesticide applications to plants in bloom.

ODA is considering additional enforcement action, Pokarney said.

"We've given information to all of our pesticide licensees. We've made a great effort to talk about pollinator protection," Pokarney said. "They should have known better." - Statesman Journal. 

Mass Die-Off Of Fish And Crabs "Panics Fishermen" In Paradip, India

A group of people fishing at Puri Canal in Bhubaneswar on Friday.  (Express photo)

Large scale death of marine species including fish and crabs for the last couple of days on Santra Creek here has spread panic among local fishermen. Scientists of State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) have rushed to the spot to collect water samples to ascertain the cause of the mass death of marine species.

The fishermen alleged that discharge of chemical effluents from the proposed Paradip refinery project of IOCL is the main cause of the fish death.

Though the refinery project is yet to be commissioned, IOCL authorities have pressed several contractual agencies for the project’s construction work. The agencies have been discharging chemical effluents into Santra creek and Kadua river leading to the mass death, alleged the fishermen.

Farmers in Paradip area also complained that prawn and other marine species have perished in nearly 11 gheris causing loss to the tune of `4 crore. Prawn farmer Susant Pradhan said marine fishes in a three-acre gheri have died due to release of chemical effluents from the refinery project. The loss is estimated to be around `35 lakh, he added.

Fishermen Madhu Parida, Lalu Patra, Gobind Samal and others said they had cultivated prawn and marine fish by availing loans from private financiers. After the death of the marine species, it is an uphill task to repay the loans, they rued.

On the other hand, a senior officer of the IOCL refuted the allegation of the death of marine fish due to discharge of chemical waste from the refinery project. The project has not yet been commissioned and so there is no question of chemical waste being discharged into Santra creek. Moreover, IOCL collected water samples for testing and found the allegation baseless from the report, he added.

Senior scientist of SPCB Prasant Kar, who visited the spot, said, “Our team has collected water samples which would be tested at the central laboratory in Bhubaneswar. The cause of the death of marine fishes is yet to be ascertained as we are awaiting the laboratory report. Fishes and crabs in around 10 prawn gheris on Santra creek have perished,” he added. - New Indian Express. 

Dad, Son In ICU After Wasp In Altamonte Springs, Florida, United States

Neighbors, beekeeper help pair survive

A father and son from Altamonte Springs are both in intensive care units at two separate hospitals after being attacked by a massive swarm of wasps.

David Alvarez and his 7-year-old son, Jordan, were on a walk with their dog last Wednesday evening in a wooded area along the Little Wekiva River near Mahogany Lane when one of them, or the dog, stepped on a yellow jacket nest, disturbing thousands of the wasps.

The pests relentlessly attacked Alvarez and his son.

“Just to see them like that and so swollen and so many marks on them, it's just horrible,” said Jennifer Jones, the man's wife and boy's mother.

Jones has been going back and forth between Florida Hospital Altamonte and Orlando, visiting her husband and son, who are struggling to recover from the attack. She said her husband's grandmother lives in the neighborhood they were in and that he's gone for walks in the same area for the past 30 years.

When the yellow jackets attacked, Jones said her son led his dad, who is allergic to them, out of the wooded area and onto the road, where they flagged down help.

“I was driving down the street and I saw a man and a boy stumbling out of the woods and stumbled across the road covered in bees,” said Brien Schou.

Schou said he rolled down his window to see what they needed and wasps immediately flew into his vehicle. Schou called 911 while other neighbors ran out to help.

“I know he wanted to quit because he said, 'I just wanted to give up because it hurt so bad, but I had to keep going because I seen daddy laying there on the ground.' I just can't believe how strong he is,” said Jones of her 7-year-old son.

To Jones' amazement, a beekeeper who lives nearby also heard people screaming for help. Jim Kunze jumped in his truck and drove around the block, where he found the two suffering.

“It was pretty bad. It was chicken pox times five, at least,” said Kunze.

Kunze threw on his bee outfit, put Jordan in his truck to get some air conditioning and immediately went to work, pulling off and killing the yellow jackets that were still attacking Alvarez.


WATCH: Father, son in ICU after being attacked by wasps in Altamonte Springs.

Kunze said he believes the family's dog was walking ahead of the father and son and may have stepped on the nest.

“They've got guards at their entrance, and once the first one stings, it puts out a pheromone, it alerts the rest and the rest go to that point,” said Kunze.

Alvarez has developed pneumonia and a blood clot. He is still unconscious and heavily sedated. His son was taken out of ICU but was re-admitted Monday due to some difficulty breathing.

“They will be lucky to survive this. They were attacked that viciously,” said Kunze.

Jones said her husband was alert enough to give her phone number to paramedics, who called her to tell her what happened. She said when she got there,  a yellow jacket was crawling out of her son's ear.

The family's dog was also stung and started to have liver failure. She was taken to a veterinarian and seems to be recovering well.

Jones said she's thankful for the first responders and the beekeeper who helped her family.

With kids out of school for summer and playing outside, Jones said she just wants other parents to be aware of what happened to her family.

“It's so nerve-racking because it's kind of by a school and it is summer time and kids go and explore and the main thing is, I don't want this to happen to another kid,” said Jones.

Friends of the family have started a GoFundMe account to raise money for their medical bills. Click here for more information. - Click Orlando.

20 Dogs Die In Arizona Heat

Heat. There's been plenty of it to go around in Arizona these first days of summer -- literally and politically -- after the air conditioning went out at a dog kennel.  Sheriff's deputies found 20 dead dogs piled up in a shed on Friday at Green Acres Dog Boarding Facility in Gilbert. The public shock over their deaths led a U.S. senator to issue a public statement on Monday.  As fate would have it, Republican Sen. Jeff Flake's son, Austin, was minding the kennel, when the dogs died.  Green Acres is owned and operated by two of Flake's relatives, Jesse and Maleisa Hughes, the Maricopa County Sheriff's office said.  The couple was out of town, leaving Austin Flake to dogsit, when a dog apparently chewed through the electric wiring connected to the air conditioning, said Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  He called it an accident, but at the same time cast doubt on the kennel owners' account of how the dogs died.

Kennel owners: It was an accident  
"It was a tragic accident," Hughes told CNN. "We are heartbroken, and we're devastated." She doesn't believe anyone could have predicted or stopped what happened.  The air conditioning unit kicked out in the middle of the night, Hughes said.  Austin Flake and his wife slept at the east end of the house, while the temperature climbed to seething heights in the kennel on the west end, Maleisa Hughes said.  The dogs sleep there at night in a large, cooled room, she said.  The two sides of the house have separate air conditioning units, so the Flakes couldn't feel the suffocating heat.  During the day in Gilbert, the mercury has blasted up to over 100 degrees F, easily making it hard to find relief, perhaps even after temperatures dip back down to under 80 at night.  By the time the Flakes discovered the dogs at 5:30 a.m., the temperature was over 100 degrees, Hughes said.  The gnawed wire was still sputtering off sparks.  "It could have burned down our whole house," Hughes said. "My whole house could have burned down and all my children could have died, and then it would have been a tragedy."  One of the dogs that perished was her own.  The Flakes turned a hose and ice on the overheated dogs to try to save them, the sheriff's office said. "But failed to call for emergency assistance before the dogs died."

Sheriff: Story "seems unreasonable"  
Sheriff Arpaio said that his office is investigating and that parts of Hughes' story seems suspicious. "It seems unreasonable that dogs could be healthy at 11 p.m. at night and dead by 5:30 a.m. the next morning as the owners suggest," he said.  A veterinarian he conferred with has corroborated his doubts, Arpaio said.  Deputies arrived to find some of the dogs' owners at Green Acres. A couple cried and hugged, as deputies used a wheel barrow to cart off dogs' carcasses wrapped in cloth.  Pet owners told Arpaio that the Hughes misled them about the number of dogs kept at the kennel.  The Hughes have not been arrested or charged, CNN affiliate KPNX reported. - CNN.

Alien Trap-Jaw Ants Spread Along Gulf Coast

This species of trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus relictus, is only found in Florida. It is a cousin of O. haematodus,
a South American species that has recently taken hold along the Gulf Coast.Magdalena Sorger

An aggressive type of trap-jaw ant with a mighty bite is gaining ground in the U.S. southeast, new research finds.

The species, Odontomachus haematodus, is native to South America, but it seems to have spread recently along the Gulf Coast without attracting much attention until now. 

"The fact that some of these species are spreading is interesting, in part because these giant ants have managed to expand their territory without anyone noticing," Magdalena Sorger, a doctoral student at North Carolina State University, said in a statement. "We know very little about these ants, including how they interact with native ant species in the areas they're invading." [See Amazing Photos of the World's Ants] 

O. haematodus may have been hiding in the United States unnoticed for more than five decades. The earliest example of the species in the country comes from insect specimens kept in the Smithsonian National Collection: O. haematodus samples were picked up in Alabama in 1956. 

Often mistaken for its North American cousins, O. haematodus, when in small groups, likely blended in across the Southeast over the next several decades, but now the population is too big to ignore. Today, the species is common along the Gulf Coast, from the New Orleans area of Louisiana east to Pensacola, Florida, Sorger and colleagues wrote in their study published in the journal Zootaxa. 

The ants have a shiny body ranging from yellow to black in color, and they have taken root in a variety of habitats. Their nests have been found in rotting logs in forests as well as in building foundations in urban areas, the researchers wrote. 

Trap-jaw ants of the genus Odontomachus are remarkable for their strong set of mandibles. The creatures' spring-loaded jaws open 180 degrees and quickly snap shut to grab prey or propel the ant into the air to escape predators. (The insects had previously been called "leaping ants.") In 2006, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, clocked the jaw-snapping speed of Odontomachus bauri and found this species closes its mandibles at 78 to 145 mph. 

While native trap-jaw ants found in the United States do not usually sting humans unless handled, O. haematodus are more aggressive. In defense of their turf, ants of this species will immediately sting intruders who so much as place a hand in the leaf litter near their nests. According to anecdotal reports, the insect sting is painful but doesn't last long, Sorger and colleagues wrote. 

The team hopes their research paper will help scientists identify which species of trap-jaw ants they encounter in the future. - FOX News. 

Mass fish/birds/animal die-offs across the Earth

February 17, 2014 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest incidents of mass animal, bird and fish die-offs across the Earth:

10,000 Livestock Have Died Due To Drought In Chulucanas, Peru.

Cattle killed drought in the north of the country, while also affecting rice crops and fruits.

In the province of Morropón reported 10,000 head of cattle dead. The rivers, streams and canals in the valley are dry. Ranchers are finishing their cows to not see them die of thirst. In San Lorenzo warn potential loss of large paddy season.

A real live drama farmers in the district of La Matanza, Province Morropón-CHulucanas, where the numbers of dead livestock because of drought totaled 10,000 animals, including cows, goats, sheep and pigs, which are the engine of the economy in this region of Alto Piura valley.  This was announced by the mayor of this town, Nelson Reyes Mine, after receiving the final report of the 18 associations of farmers in the area calling for an immediate declaration of emergency, to receive prompt assistance.  The loss report indicates that it is 2,500 cattle, 2,500 sheep, 3,500 goats and 1,500 pigs.  "To this day it does not rain in the Upper Piura increasing drought damage with fallen stock and great loss of permanent and temporary crops.  The rivers, streams and canals in the valley are dry without a drop of water more aggravating problems for livestock and agricultural sector no longer know what to do waiting for the support come soon, "said the mayor.  While waiting for the support, farmers are in need of selling their cows up to 500 soles, despite the normal price reached to 1,500 soles, in order to not see them die undernourished in the field. 

Rice shortage  
The situation is no different in the San Lorenzo Valley because it warns of the potential loss of large paddy season due to lack of water. This would lead to an economic crisis for small producers as well as shortages in cereal markets.  According to the chairman of the Rice Producers of Valle San Lorenzo (Tambogrande), Jorge Saavedra Burnet, this situation would require the importation of rice, to reduce the deficit would have on the domestic market, as the drought has also affected the crop in the valleys of Lambayeque and La Libertad.  He also said that the price of rice would double to strong demand. He explained that in a normal year the cost of 1 kg of paddy is S /. 1.00. However, in a dry year like this, the price would reach S /. 2.00.  The manager of the Board Members of San Lorenzo (JUSAL), Alfonso Castillo Burnet said that 4000 is over 600 acres that would stop planting by water crisis. And with that over 640,000 wages would be lost. 

Proposals  
Before it said that one of the solutions to medium term would be to establish a complementary campaign, where rice would be replaced by other products such as corn and beans, if the reservoir of San Lorenzo, capable of storing 60 Million Cubic Meters (MMC) water. Currently only 13 MMC.  Otherwise we will choose to continue storing the liquid element to obtain a considerable amount and a girl paddy season 2000 600 acres midyear is put in place.  "With cuts of 10 and 12 days we have planned we hope to get enough water to prioritize sensitive rice and fruit. Otherwise we will have to wait until May, where more water reaches the reservoir to make a decision, "said Castillo Burnet.  However, the problem extends. La Leche Valley already suffers from thirst for districts Resume, Illimo, Jayanca, Zazape and San Isidro, who have already lost almost 3000 hectares of maize, lentils and other legumes, reported vice chairman of users that valley Juan Francisco Peche. The Republic came to the Milk River is now a desert area, damaging nearly 4000 farmers.  Arequipa also trembles before a drought. In Camana and La Joya fear is latent as a week without water involve the loss of 30% of their crops. "Water shortage is a national problem that must be addressed," says the president of the Agricultural Society of Arequipa, Hernán Vela. 

Immediate effects of drought  
According to the chairman of the Rice Producers of San Lorenzo, Alfonso Castillo Burner is not reversed the situation "an economic crisis for small producers, as well as shortages in the market and therefore cause an increase in the prices of several products. "  Specialist agricultural issues, Reynaldo Trinidad, estimated as of July be observed with speculation rice prices, sugar and some fruit.  In La Libertad also endangers the planting season for rice and corn if not enough rain falls, because now there are intermittent rainfall, said Luis Tolentino, regional manager of Agriculture. - La Republica. [Translated]

Hundreds Of Cattle Found Dead From "Mystery Illness" In Misiones Province, Argentina.

After deaths of cattle, SENASA sampled in the southern provincial  A pathologist National Agrifood Health and Quality (SENASA) reached Apostles for the cause for which they died more than 500 animals  Saturday February 15, 2014 | 7:28  For answers. | Concepción de la Sierra, Tres Capones and Apostles affected.  Dr. Hector Sanguinetti, pathologist of the National Service for Agrifood Health and Quality (SENASA) Apostles arrived and toured the area to sample aimed to bring clarity on the causes of mortality of bovines in the South, affecting municipalities of Concepción de la Sierra, Three Apostles and Capones and more than 500 head of cattle were killed. 

In the early hours at the offices of Apostles SENASA members of the commission set up last week and was responsible for further investigation, headed by Mayor Mario Vialey with Dr. Juan Boyesuk, head of the local branch of SENASA, veterinarians met in July Frettes (Directorate General of Livestock of the Province), Alexander Tkachuk (Food Science department head) and Martin Ramos, Alfredo Friedlmeier agronomist (Inta delegation Apostles) and technical Mabeliana Silva (Ministry of Agriculture's Office).   This group of people and other partners were divided into three crews, two of which were commissioned to carry out statistics in the area, collecting data settlers, such as livestock numbers, immunization schedule, number of heads per hectare first symptoms of disease.   

The last group was headed by Sanguinetti and Boyesuk, who along with his colleagues went to field producer Ramón Rodríguez, where samples of blood, mucus and feces were extracted, among others, a number of animals for laboratory analysis.  Then proceeded to perform the autopsy of a cow and the removal of organs, also for studies Late various teams met to evaluate the work done.  Press conference last night waiting for the collected preliminary data.  It also announced the shipment of samples to the laboratories of SENASA and private, the latter at the request of the settlers affected. -Territorio Digital. [Translated]


A still unknown evil killed hundreds of cattle in the south of Misiones. Different veterinarians attended the producers were unable to determine the cause of the plague and now requires that the State sends specialists to investigate.

"Cows largar start foaming at the mouth, get as crazy and run over people and then begin to dry inside as to death despite grazing normally," said Juan Zanek, who already has lost 70 animals by the strange box.

The rancher says that animals in general were concerned with good health status. "No veterinarian was able to tell me what's going on," he said. And in recent days also found the birth of several blind calves. "I think it might be a virus or something, but do not understand how he could not yet determine what is causing the deaths," he complained.

Juan Manulak, another farmer in the area, said some veterinarians blame the "Mary mole", a yellow flowering plant that usually populate the fields of southern missionary, "but this shrub always existed and the cows did not die. And there are still some places where Mary is not the mole and no loss of animals, "he explained.

Livestock Undersecretary of Misiones, Rodolfo Jaquet, admitted that "there is no definitive diagnosis" on the cause of the deaths of the animals, but did not rule out the case of anthrax. "High temperatures, lack of vaccination, drought, may have activated some anthrax spores in the fields," he ventured. - Nuevo Diario Web. [Translated]

Hundreds Of Seabirds  Wash Up Along Southwest Coast Of England.

Animal charities are caring from some of the hundreds of guillemots, razorbills and puffins that
have washed up in Hampshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall in the past week.

Hundreds of seabirds - some dead and others covered in oil - have been washed ashore in south-west England.  The RSPB believes most of the deaths were a "sad but natural occurrence" after the recent stormy weather.  In Devon, about 40 puffins, guillemots and razorbills were found at Thurlstone, while others have been reported from Hampshire to Cornwall.  Some of the "pitiful" oiled birds are being cared for at the South Devon Seabird Trust in Teignmouth.  The trust's founder, Jean Bradford, told BBC News: "It's a catastrophe and I think with everything else that's going on with people, the birds and other animals have been overlooked a little bit."

Mrs Bradford said the oiled and storm-blown birds that had been rescued were in a "pitiful state".  "Even if these birds get to shore, very often it's the case that they're washed back out to sea by the enormous waves that are coming in.  "By the time they reach another beach, perhaps at low tide, many of them are too ill to be saved."  A number of birds were rescued from Chesil Beach in Dorset earlier in the week and taken to the RSPCA West Hatch animal centre in Taunton.

Both the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Environment Agency said there had been no reports of major pollution incidents, leading the RSPB to conclude the storms that have battered the South West were responsible.  "On Thursday we had reports of 137 birds - some of them oiled - and although any number is regrettable, it's not completely unexpected," RSPB spokesman Tony Whitehead said.  "We think what's happening is a sad, but naturally occurring event, off the back of really bad weather.  "The birds become exhausted, they're tossed up and down by giant waves and sometimes they get covered in oil."  The RSPB said anyone finding beached seabirds should not attempt to rescue them, but should contact the RSPCA.  Last year wildlife charities in south and south-west England dealt with thousands of seabirds affected by a spill of polyisobutene (PIB) - a chemical used as a lubricant in ships' engines. - BBC.

Thousands Of Birds Found Dead, Due To Avian Flu, In Trenggalek Regency, Indonesia.

A fresh bird-flu outbreak has hit Trenggalek regency, East Java, where thousands of birds were found dead in Pakis village, Durenan district. Tests have confirmed the deaths were due to infection by avian flu (H5N1).
“Laboratory test results on 20 samples of bird carcasses confirm they were bird-flu virus positive,” head of Trenggalek Animal Health Center Budi Satriawan said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

Budi explained that the virus that killed the birds was identical to that which had infected chickens and other poultry within the area, and was potentially harmful to humans.

Following the test results, Budi issued a recommendation letter ordering a mass cull and destruction of all poultry in the affected farm.

“The rules are clear. Birds that are still alive must be killed and burned,” Budi said.

In the midst of eliminating thousands of birds, Budi added that his team, after further investigation, would also cull other poultry farms to be on the safe side.

Poultry within a 200-meter radius of the original location where the bird flu virus was detected will be vaccinated and disinfectant would be sprayed on all farms, poultry and otherwise.

Previously thousands of birds died in Pakis village, Durenan regency. A total of 7,000 birds were culled following that outbreak. - Jakarta Post.

MILLIONS Of Dead Fish Wash Ashore On Lake Manyas, Balikesir, Turkey.

Balikesir is linked to Manyas Lake 'is located in the coastal village of Hammam millions of carp, roach, pike and Israeli carp fry the fish hit the coast. Fish fry to hit the shore has caused concern. Lake manyas 's millions of fish dying hitting the shore, the lake shore in the village of Hammam who was greeted with surprise by sitting. The dead fish, carp, roach, pike and Israel were determined to be of carp fry.

Manyas Governor Mehmet Erdem, where the fish waste from the District of Food Agriculture and Livestock Department officials taking samples were sent for analysis after analysis to be made of the exact cause of death will be clarified, explained. While engaged in fishing in the village of Hammam Hayrullah Selvi, reeds and sheltered areas for fish spawning sites, said: said:

"Eggs left in the period when irrigation canal sufficient water were available but lack of rainfall and Ergili regulator cover are open because of the water went to the sea. Manyas Lake 's water level drop caused. lake water by lowering this time on irrigation water came, and unfortunately millions of young fish perished . "

In order to determine the cause of death of the fish began to research. - Sondakika. [Translated]

Thousands Of Fish Have Died "Due To Environmental Factors" In Lampung, Indonesia.

Thousands of grouper aquaculture in waters kramba Rarem Dam Way, Village Abung Pekurun, North Lampung, died on Thursday (13/2). As a result, farmers suffered losses of tens of millions of dollars. Aquatic environmental factors in the area suspected to be the cause of thousands of cages grouper stress and die.

Head of Division (Head) Monitoring and Fisheries Resources, Fisheries North Lampung, Amirsyah say, mass death in cultured grouper kramba have been studied in laboratory testing of quarantine stations, quality control and safety of fishery products Lampung first class marine and fisheries ministry .

Based on lab testing. No.0055/1.11U/KI-PJG/I/2014, which published water quality conditions in the waters of the dam in the category of normal for cultivation, with PH, 7, solute concentration for NO2, 0, phosphate, 0.05, and Al Kalin, 18.5. While the seeds of disease were found to infect fish, caused by a virus attack rate refers to the results of lab tests. lightweight category instead outbreak.

"Concluded the cause of dead fish in the waters of the dam due to the stress of going on the environmental conditions around kramba. Regarding deaths from the disease, may be indicated against the odds. "Said Amirsyah.

Before getting counseling and explanation of the death of the fish, the grouper farmers in Dam Way Rarem, Pekurun Abung Village, District Abung Pekurun, no thanks to the mass mortality of grouper, and to recover damages on employers stone quarrying and sand mining, over alleged environmental pollution by cause the death of fish. - Poskota News.

DISASTER IMPACT: Somali Region Appeals For Aid After Cyclone - UN Says As Many As 30,000 Need Help; Over 300 Dead; "Countless" Die-Off Of Animals; Entire Villages Destroyed; Roads And Homes Washed Away!

November 15, 2013 - SOMALIA - Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland has declared a state of emergency and is appealing for international aid after floods triggered by a cyclone killed at least 300 people and left hundreds missing.

The UN said some 30,000 people were in need of food, water, shelter and medical supplies, according to government estimates. Puntland's government has described the situation as a "disaster".

A cyclone that hit Somalia's north-eastern Puntland region at the weekend is known to have killed over
300 people and has caused extensive flooding. Many areas have been cut off. News and pictures
of the devastation are slowly emerging.

Thousands of livestock also died, and hundreds of homes were destroyed by the cyclone, known as 03A.
This man lost the majority of his flock, with 400 out of his 431 goats dying.

Camels too were affected by the surging waters. This camel was stuck in the mud and was
successfully rescued by young men using ropes.

Puntland forms the tip of the Horn of Africa and has its own government, but unlike neighbouring Somaliland, it has not declared independence from Somalia, which has been unstable since 1991 when President Siad Barre was overthrown. 

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from Puntland, said the situation was "grim" and that entire villages had been washed away by "raging floods".

He said the death toll was likely to rise as most of the affected villages were still cut off by the water.

"Aid is not reaching affected villages because of the damage done to infrastructure. [There are] long queues of stranded vehicles" on both sides of the road between the capital Garowe and the key port city of Bossaso.

'Livestock lost'

Our correspondent said large stretches of the road had been damaged and that officials had been sent on foot to try to reach affected areas.

"Torrential rains, high wind speeds and flooding has created a state of emergency, with 300 persons feared dead, hundreds others unaccounted for, and countless livestock lost," the government said in a statement.

The death toll could not be independently verified, but weather experts from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) confirmed flooding was severe.

A major bridge on the highway between the inland town of Garowe and coastal Bossasso was washed away.

It took several days for aid to reach one of the worst-affected areas, Karhis - between the districts of
Dangoroyo and Eyl - which rarely receives rain.

Puntland marines distributed dates, nutritious biscuits and sugar to those left destitute by the floods. This
family lost most of their possessions in the raging waters that swept away their compound of huts.

This woman, who thanked the marines for the food they gave her, said she had been separated from her family.
She also lost 90 goats in the floods.

Journalist Ahmed Awil Jama said about half a kilometre from where the marines were distributing food,
it was too dangerous to travel because of the fast-moving water. The authorities have appealed to
international aid agencies to help with air-drops of relief supplies, including clean water,
non-perishable food, tents, blankets and medicines.

"Given that Puntland is a semi-arid region, it rarely rains but when it does, to an extent we have seen... the impact is devastating," Hussein Gadain, a senior FAO technical adviser, said

Infamous pirate hotspots such as the port of Eyl - from where Somali men have launched attacks far out into the Indian Ocean - are some of the worst affected.


WATCH: Somali region appeals for aid after cyclone.

"Many fishermen are missing and feared dead, the storm has destroyed entire villages, homes, buildings, and boats," the statement added.

The World Food Programme said it was "working closely" with local authorities "to assess the needs in Puntland in the aftermath of the cyclone". - Al Jazeera.