Fish 'die-off' in Stanley Park's Lost Lagoon under investigation
A number of dead fish have been spotted in Lost Lagoon in Vancouver's Stanley Park over the past couple of days, prompting an investigation by the Stanley Park Ecology Society.
Conservation technician Olga Lansdorp told CTV News they first heard about the fish on Saturday.
“As far as I know, it’s the common carp that is affected by this die-off,” she said, and guessed the number affected would likely be in the dozens. “My first impression is that they look like lethargic fish. It looks like they don’t really have a lot of fight left in them.”
Images and video sent to CTV News by people in the park showed fish floating on the surface of the water in various areas. The society also shared video showing fish clustered together just below the lagoon’s surface.
Lansdorp said while it’s still mystery as to what exactly happened, some possible theories may involve last Friday’s heavy rain.
“There was about 51 millimetres of rain on Friday last week, which is a significant rainfall for September in one day,” she said.
Lansdorp said in late summer, debris that breaks down at the bottoms of ponds lead to a decrease in oxygen levels.
“With heavy rain, everything gets mixed up, and so that low oxygen water gets mixed into the rest of the body of water, and what you find is that there’s a certain tolerance that fish have for levels of oxygen,” she said. “There’s also known to be heavy metals in the sediment at the bottom of Lost Lagoon, so the heavy rain might have stirred up the heavy metals.”
The heavy metals would be a concern, because that could end up travelling up the food chain.
“It’s not just the fish that are using the body of water, it’s also lots of freshwater invertebrates which are then in turn being eaten by birds, which are being eaten by predatory birds,” she said. “I have seen otters eating carp and I have also heard of eagles catching carp.”
Lansdorp said the society is testing the water quality, and will be looking to whether there are any other cases like this in the lagoon’s history, or elsewhere.
She also pointed out the carp are actually an invasive fish, and aren’t native to the area.
“Lost lagoon actually used to be a tidal mud flat, and with the construction of the causeway in the early 1900s, in about 1916, that portion was blocked off and it became a fresh water body of water,” she said. “Ecologically, it’s a type of novel ecosystem.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.