He said also said the combination of a million dead fish and mid-August temperatures has made for a nasty, stinky brew. He said the peanut bunker, which average 4 to 5 inches long, were likely fleeing from larger predators, including bluefish or skates, and because the fish became so bunched up they depleted the dissolved oxygen in the water.
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Peanut bunkers are the spawn of menhaden.
“The idea is to get them in the ground and cover them as quickly as possible to reduce the smell”, said Laura Kirkpatrick, county spokesperson.
Bob Considine, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, on Tuesday said DEP conservation officers and the agency’s emergency response have been monitoring the fish kill since the weekend.
The highest concentration was in the Waackaack Creek, which feeds Raritan Bay.
Officials say there’s no health risk to the public from the water or the dead fish.
The result has been a fish kill that has been a little unpleasant at times. “The tides coming in now and there are a lot of fish floating on top of the creek”.
“You know if you leave fish in the garbage can for a couple of days and it’s hot out, it’s going to smell”, he said.
Keansburg Mayor George Hoff said they are taking care of the fish that washed up on the beach.
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“Obviously we can’t interview the fish”, he said. “Especially with all the dead fish, the sun starts beating down on them and it just permeates the whole neighborhood”.
