DARTMOUTH, NS, October
15, 2007- Environment Canada announced today
that it has completed its testing of samples
taken after fish kills at Dunk River and
Tryon River, Prince Edward Island, in July
2007 and it concluded that it cannot determine
the exact cause of either incident.
Samples of water, vegetation, sediment
and fish were analyzed at the Environment
Canada lab in Moncton, New Brunswick.
The pesticide Chlorothalonil was found
in samples taken from the Tryon River and
the pesticide Metribuzin was found in samples
taken from the Dunk River. The levels of
both pesticides detected were not high enough
to cause fish kills.
The low amount of pesticide found in the
fish tissue samples is not surprising given
the amount of time between when the fish
kills occurred and when the samples were
gathered. The Tryon River fish kill was
reported two days after it took place, and
the Dunk River fish kill was reported three
days after it occurred. Government officials
gathered samples immediately after each
kill was initially reported. However because
the fish were dead for at least two days
before the sampling began, the amount of
pesticide in them may have degraded in that
time.
There is not sufficient evidence at the
present time to determine the cause or origin
of the fish kills. As a result, no one can
be charged with violating the pollution
prevention provisions of the federal Fisheries
Act. Environment Canada environmental enforcement
field officers will continue to inspect
properties adjacent to water bodies on Prince
Edward Island and they will continue to
take all the necessary actions to detect
and deter practices that could endanger
the water systems and fish habitat on the
Island.
Officials emphasize that more sustainable
land-management practices will also offer
greater protection for these rivers and
other bodies of water in the future. The
examination of the Dunk River and Tryon
River fish kills was conducted jointly by
Environment Canada and the Prince Edward
Island Department of Environment, Energy
and Forestry.
David Aggett
Director, Office of Environmental Enforcement
Environment Canadá
