Pilbara on alert after dead jellyfish, puffer fish wash up on beaches
Residents in remote coastal communities have been put on alert after a series of gross discoveries on local beaches.
Isolated coastal communities in Western Australia’s Pilbara have been put on alert after a mass die-off led to beaches being inundated with rotting red jellyfish and toxic marine life.
Residents have reported dead puffer fish washing along Onslow Beach in Onslow, about 1300km north of Perth, with more than 100 in the just the past few days.
Puffer fish contain a potent deadly toxin that is highly dangerous to people and dogs, causing severe illness or death in even small quantities if ingested.
The Shire of Ashburton warned residents to keeps dogs leashed when visiting the beach and prevent them sniffing, licking or eating dead fish.
“Report any further findings of dead puffer fish to the Shire for safe removal,” the shire said in a statement.
“The shire is monitoring the situation and will provide updates as required.”
The stretch of coast is popular among local dog walkers, swimmers, and fishermen.
One resident told the ABC they had counted almost 600 dead fish on the beach, with others concerned about parallels with South Australia’s algal bloom.
Elsewhere in the Pilbara, beachgoers near Port Hedland, Cape Lambert, and Dampier also reported dead red bell jellyfish for weeks on their beaches.
The gross find triggered a notice from Pilbara Ports to marine pilots last week warning of possible obstacles on approach to Port Hedland.
It warned that seawater intake for engine cooling systems and fire pumps could be clogged by the jellyfish.
Fish kill ‘almost certainly’ not algae bloom
In a statement, the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said its officers were investigating the puffer fish in conjunction with the Shire.
“While the event may be associated with environmental factors, this is not yet confirmed,” the department said.
“The involvement of a single type of fish almost certainly rules out a pollution event or toxic algal bloom.”
The department noted fish kills in open ocean provides “less evidence of a direct cause”.
“It may not be possible to identify a single definitive cause, but every effort is made to establish probable factors,” the department said.
They also urged fishermen not to use dead fish as bait, and to not collect or consume fish from the area.
Originally published as Pilbara on alert after dead jellyfish, puffer fish wash up on beaches
