MAINE PUBLIC • November 7, 2023
The Downeast Salmon Federation was forced to kill about 170,000 young salmon last month, after a virus was discovered in a fish hatchery in East Machias. Executive Director Dwayne Shaw said that in routine testing of the Peter Gray Hatchery, the group discovered fish infected with pancreatic necrosis, a virus that's endemic in both fresh and salt water. Shaw said that while all the fish appeared healthy, the presence of the virus forced them to kill all 170,000 salmon and bury them, then perform a deep clean of the facility. The Federation has never had to kill so many fish before.