What’s Killing Catfish In Weeks Bay?

Alabama Virus Hundreds of hardhead catfish have washed up on Baldwin County shorelines in the Weeks Bay area in the past two weeks.
by The Associated Press
Published: Thu, May 07, 2009 - 10:34 am CST
FAIRHOPE, Ala. (AP) - State scientists and biologists are trying
learn what is causing a massive fish kill in coastal waters south
of Fairhope.
A state official says hundreds of hardhead catfish have washed
up on Baldwin County shorelines in the Weeks Bay area in the past
two weeks.
Vernon Minton, director of the Alabama Marine Resources Division
in Gulf Shores, urges people not to eat fish with lesions or scars.
He recommends that the diseased catfish be sent to their office
for testing.
Minton says he suspects the fish are dying from the same virus
that wiped out thousands in the mid 1990s.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Alabama Marine Resources Division
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baydream
baydream Says:
Thu, May 07, 2009 at 5:03 pm

I live on the western shore of Mobile Bay and they have been washing up for almost four weeks now. At first I thought they were bycatch from several shrimp boats trawling the area but started thinking it may be a virus or something. Besides the mess, stink and danger from stepping on the barbed fins I say good riddance. They are useless fish that just steal my bait.

KxVicious
KxVicious Says:
Thu, May 07, 2009 at 11:14 am

I know right? I won’t even eat stuff I catch at Dauphin Island!

rolltide33 Says:
Thu, May 07, 2009 at 11:13 am

Do people really eat those?

KxVicious
KxVicious Says:
Thu, May 07, 2009 at 10:56 am

Oh no! It’s the Catfish Flu!

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