Where have all the fish flies gone?
Advertisement
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/08/2019 (2223 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
It’s the time of year when we should see a host fish flies descending on the streets of Winnipeg, attracted by the lights.
Have you seen any? Neither have I.
The last time I saw any was on a river cruise on the Paddlewheel Queen in the mid-1970s, and I only saw a few. However, I remember one well, as it lit upon the freckled nose of a four-year old girl. Unfortunately, by the time I dug out my camera, the fish fly was gone. At one time, from late June until mid-August the streets of Winnipeg would be blanketed with the little critters, and now they’re rarely seen.
“So what?” you may ask. “Who cares?”
Well I care, and so should all those who claim to be concerned about the environment. Fish flies are an indication of the health of our waterways. The healthier the waterway the greater the population of fish flies, leading to a healthier ecosystem in which fish and other marine life feed on them in their various stages of life, from egg to larva to adult.
It’s only a matter of time until the accumulated pollution from our rivers spilling into our larger lakes turn them into wastelands similar to our rivers. For far too many years we’ve been uttering great platitudes of our concern for the environment but continue to defile our waterways with poisonous sludge.
On a trip to any one of the communities along the east and west sides of Lake Winnipeg from late June until mid-August you will be met by the powerful stench of dead fish flies attracted to street lights where, below, their dead bodies will pile up.
Complain about the smell and you will be told by the locals that it may smell awful to you but it smells like money to us, as our economy is reliant on our fish catch, which is dependent on heavy populations of fish flies.
While the lakes seem to have a healthy population of fish flies now, nourishing good harvests of fish, Mother Nature, often in a last gasp to ensure survival of a species, often produces bumper crops before that species disappears.
Ron Buffie is a community correspondent for Transcona. Email him at ronbuffie@shaw.ca
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Advertisement Advertise With Us
Advertisement Advertise With Us