Millions of dead sardines found in California

Millions of dead sardines have been found floating in a harbour near Los Angeles in California. The fish were in a layer about two feet deep below the surface of the water. It is thought a storm had driven them into the private King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach. Packed so tightly in a confined area they then suffocated.



"Probably 5% of the total basin harbour is filled with dead sardines," said Andrew Hughan, spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game. "There's nothing that appears to be out of sorts - no oil sheen, no chemicals, no sign of any kind of illegal activity. As one fisherman just told me, this is natural selection."

Biologists are still concluding their investigation but the authorities have already begun removing the fish from the water with nets and buckets. Staci Gabrielli, marine coordinator for the harbour, said the layer of fish is so thick in some places that boats cannot get out of their moorings.


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"The issue now is clean-up because we have tons and tons of dead fish rotting and putrefying, which obviously creates hazardous material," said Redondo Beach police sergeant Phil Keenan. The authorities are still trying to decide what to do with the dead sardines. One option is to dump them several miles out to sea.