Heather Wright/The Independent

The fish die-off which has left thousands of carcasses on Lake Huron

beaches has reached Plympton-Wyoming.

And officials there are vowing to be involved in any clean up.

May 9, Ipperwash residents filled garbage pails with dead fish, many of them spotted with red

Jennifer Powell, a University of Toronto PhD candidate working in Lambton Shores, suspects the die-off may be due to an outbreak of viral hemorrhagic septicemia or VHS. It’s not a danger to people or pets, but it “can be devastating to fishes and some other aquatic life,” she said.

Powell says she’s seen evidence of multiple species of fish dying in the area. Gizzard Shad are known for large die-offs in the spring because of the changes in the weather, but she’s heard reports of other fish, such as Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass and Yellow Perch, being affected both in Ontario and on the US side of the lake. Scientists there say it is an outbreak of

VHS.

Some samples from Kincardine and Goderich have been sent to labs for confirmation. That could take over a month to complete.

In the meantime, Public Works Director Paul da Silva says dead fish are being spotted in Plympton- Wyoming.

“I was down at Highland Glen a couple of days ago, and I did see a few, and we have some crews down there working there right now, and they’ve seen a couple as well – not hundreds,

by any means – but they’ve definitely seen them.”

Councillor Kristin Rodrigues brought to the issue to council attention referencing a letter from the Ministry of Natural Resources about the fish die-off.’

“The cleanup of the dead fish is the responsibility of the municipality on public beaches and landowners on private beaches,” she told council May 14. “I can appreciate this may be a daunting task for our staff, and maybe reaching out to the public or volunteer groups to be of assistance might be more beneficial in keeping on top of the problem.

“I don’t know what can be done, but the fish can’t remain where they are,” Rodrigues added.

MNR officials say if the fish being to pile up, they could increase E coli in the waters.

da Silva said he’d consult with the MNR on the best methods for clean up.