Information on Fish Die-Off in CT River

Recently, there have been some concerns about the amount of dead bunker fish in and around the North Cove area. The below information is from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

• DEEP is aware of recent fish kills involving Atlantic menhaden (aka "bunker") in various coastal areas, most recently over the weekend in the CT River.
• These kills are a natural event, we see them every summer to some degree. They are a product of high localized abundance of menhaden and warming water temperatures.
• Atlantic menhaden are a fisheries management success story - due to effective management by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, menhaden are currently super abundant
• This is a great thing for coastal ecosystems - menhaden are important forage for many predators (striped bass, ospreys, whales, etc.)
• However, one byproduct of high menhaden abundance is more frequent/larger summertime fish kills
• There is no reason to be concerned about water quality, pollution, etc. - these are natural events. DEEP will continue to monitor the situation

Click Here for a related August 3, 2021 New Haven Register Article

DEEP Informational Page on Atlantic menhaden

To contact DEEP:
Water Planning and Management Division
Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-5127
Office: 860.424.3735