Prince Edward Island and federal governments investigate discovery of dead fish

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This article was published 06/07/2012 (3918 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

COLEMAN, P.E.I. – The P.E.I. and federal governments are investigating after a number of dead fish were found in a tributary of the Trout River, the same area of West Prince where a large fish kill was recorded a year ago.

The province says the Trout Unlimited chapter of Prince County found the dead fish in Barclay Brook in Coleman on Thursday afternoon after a heavy rainfall the night before.

It says samples of soil, foliage and water have been collected for analysis.

The number of fish that were killed wasn’t immediately known, but 52 brook trout and one juvenile Atlantic salmon were collected for samples.

A provincial biologist involved in the investigation wasn’t available to comment.

Last July, hundreds of dead fish were found in the Trout, Big Pierre Jacques and Mill rivers after heavy rainfalls but officials said it was likely that thousands of fish were killed.

After that fish kill, a farmer was fined $3,000 last September after he pleaded guilty to farming within 200 metres of a watercourse boundary without the protection of a grass headland.

The P.E.I. government says the provincial departments of Environment Labour and Justice, along with Environment Canada, were involved in the investigation.