Tote Fische

This photo shows a portion of a massive fish kill in the Bayou Chaland area of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, taken on September 10,2010. Plaquemines is Louisianas southernmost parish, where theMississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. Counted among the dead fishwere pogie, redfish, shrimp, crabs, and freshwater eels. A statementissued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries released the day after the fish kill stated the fish died from lowoxygen levels and was not caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

P.J. Hahn, the Director of the Coastal Zone Management Department, points out the the LDWF came to that conclusion without taking any wateror fish samples of the area. P.J. Hahn: We had three fish kills ineight days, all in areas that were heavily oiled during the Deep HorizonOil spill. The first was in Chaland Pass, the second near Bay Joe Wiseand the third was in Bay Robinson. All kills covered areas approximatelytwo square miles in size. I collected water and fish samples and turnedthem over to our DAs office. Early independent testing results showthe fish have oil in their gills and liver. Now a more detail testingwill indicate the fingerprint of the oil to see if it matches the BPDeep Horizons oil.

Courtesy P. J. Hahn/Coastal Zone Management Department