© Jacob BotterIt began several weeks ago with herring. Thousands of these small fish were washing ashore in Digby, Nova Scotia. I love that region—the southwestern corner of the province—with its high tides and salty air, gracious homes, boreal forests, and endlessly picturesque seascapes. I know that, from time to time, with a common species like the herring, massive die-offs (as they are called) sometimes happen. They can be triggered by things that happen in the absence of human action, or as a result of something we’ve done.[teaserbreak]
Meanwhile, from Cape Breton on the other end of the province, came news that, on Christmas Eve, a sick, emaciated bald eagle was picked up. The animal was cold; not moving. Wildlife rehabber Helene Van Doninck suspected lead poisoning, and tests proved her right.
The bird died soon after.
This presents a little mystery. Eagles are among a wide diversity of scavenging birds who eat carrion (including animals, like deer, who, when shot and wounded by hunters, die later with their blood contaminated by the lead of the bullets). Or, as Van Doninck pointed out, lead is soft and may shatter within the remains of animals. Hunters who leave gut piles may also leave bits of lead behind: one of the world’s most toxic substances. If that’s not enough, eagles eat fish—and fish who break loose from being caught on a hook and line may trail lead weights (enough to also poison scavengers).
But, what of the masses of dead herring? About the same time that the news of the eagle surfaced, so did the rather bizarre news that, back at St. Mary’s Bay in Digby County, other marine species were washing ashore (including starfish, lobsters, clams, and mussels). These bottom-feeding invertebrates represent a range of species with different ecological roles to play, different feeding habits, and different food choices.
What is it that links them to the herring?
As of the moment, no one knows. And, no one knows what the effect might be on species who scavenge, including eagles, coyotes, ravens, crows, crabs, and other marine life.
The next report was about a single animal, and yet a worrisome one. A dead humpback whale also washed ashore. Is the death of this great animal, who feeds on small marine organisms such as herring, linked to the other deaths? Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans is investigating, but as of now, it is all a mystery.
And, while it is premature to speculate, I will (once more) say that one species—our own—is methodically undoing our planet’s ability to sustain all life. From dying coral reefs to missing species, and from never-before-seen chemical pollutants to lead bullets and weights, we are slowly… or, not so slowly… destroying life on Earth.
I love Nova Scotia; it’s a bit of Earthly paradise. However, the wild animals who so enrich the land and sea are dying. They’re dying for reasons known, guessed at, or, as I write, still a mystery. But, I suspect that we are, in some way, behind all of it.
Keep wildlife in the wild,
Barry