Anglers Along the Susquehanna River are Hooking Fish with Mysterious Black Splotches

An editorial published last week in Northumberland County’s The Daily Item, speculates about the cause of disfigured fish living in the Susquehanna River. Apparently, fish covered in “black splotches” have been turning up in the river since the fall.

People who know the Susquehanna River best are worried. That alone may be reason enough for the rest of us to give pause. If not, the photos in Sunday’s edition of The Daily Item will do the trick. Since fall, three or four of every 10 fish caught by anglers in the Susquehanna River have turned up with alarming black splotches.

The AP also reported that the Fish and Boat Commission has asked the Corbett Administration to launch an investigation into the ailment that seems to be affecting small mouth bass in the river. On Friday, State Rep. Kurt Masser told The Daily Item, he wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery and meet with officials from the Fish and Boat Commission. In the meantime, comments to the editorial mentioned above speculate that frack water discharges could have poisoned the fish. Others say it may be due to pharmaceutical discharges, or acid mine drainage. A spokesman for the Fish and Boat Commission told The Daily Item that the splotches don’t “seem to harm the fish.”

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