'20 tons of herring' washed up on Norwegian coast
Thousands of herring have floated ashore on Norway's western coast, leaving experts perplexed about the phenomenon.
By Agence France-PresseTue, Jan 03 2012 at 11:02 AM EST
MYSTERY: A scientist said the herring may have been chased up on land by other fish or ocean mammals or they may have fallen victim to the tides or high levels of freshwater in the area, where a river flows into the ocean. (Photo: ZUMA Perss)
Thousands of herring have floated ashore on Norway's western coast, leaving experts perplexed about the phenomenon, according to the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research.
Local media reported that some 20 tons of fish were found at the end of December on a beach in northern Norway.
"We have seen herring stranded before but never this much," biologist Ole Kristian Berg at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim told AFP.
Berg said the herring may have been chased up on land by other fish or other ocean mammals.
They may also have fallen victim to the tides or high levels of freshwater in the area, where a river flows into the ocean, he said.
According to the Nordreisa municipality, many of the fish have now been swept out to sea by the tides.
Copyright 2012 AFP Global Edition
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