“Just unbelievable”: Dead seals, catfish, starfish, urchins, slugs was ashore in NE Canada — “I’ve never seen anything like it in all my years”

The Telegram, January 18, 2011:

As many as 20 dead harp seals have washed ashore in Boat Harbour over the past couple of weeks…

Wallace Woodward, who has lived in the small community northwest of St. Anthony for most of his 52 years, says no one can remember such a thing happening before. …

And it’s not just harp seals that have been swept into the harbour — hundreds of dead catfish have washed onto land, becoming entangled with the seaweed strewn along the shore. A myriad of other marine life, like sea slugs, sea urchins and starfish have also perished in the past three weeks.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, b’y, in all my years,” Woodward said Thursday, “It’s just unbelievable.” …

“At this time we do not know the cause and DFO science is investigating” – Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) spokeswoman