A red tide in South Africa is causing the mass deaths of crayfish
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$1 per week for 24 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.99/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A toxic algae bloom known as a red tide is causing the mass deaths of crayfish and other ocean life on parts of South Africa’s west coast.
The environment ministry warned people on Thursday against collecting and eating the crayfish, which could be toxic, and police were deployed on some beaches.
A red tide occurs when colonies of algae in the ocean grow out of control, according to the U.S. government’s National Ocean Service. The algae give the seawater a distinct reddish tinge, and produce toxins that kill fish and shellfish.
It’s a reasonably common happening in South African coastal areas, but this week’s red tide was an especially severe one, according to South Africa’s Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
It said the red tide caused a “mass walkout” by crayfish — also known as rock lobsters — at Elands Bay, which is about 220 kilometers (135 miles) north of Cape Town. The crayfish were attempting to escape the toxins given off by the algae, but piles of them could be seen dead or dying on beaches alongside fish.
Crayfish is a prized meal in South Africa, and the environment ministry said more than 20 people had to be removed from one beach while trying to collect some of the crayfish. It said they could contain lethal neurotoxins.
Officials from the ministry were working to save any live crayfish and dispose of the piles of dead ones safely, the ministry said.
___
AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa