“I’ve never seen anything like it” — Cheynes Beach fish kill investigation

Thousands of mussels have washed up at Cheynes Beach sparking an investigation into a mass fish kill event.

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development officers have collected samples for laboratory testing and are advising people to exercise caution at the beach.

Mussels, other shellfish and starfish are strewn across more than 1km of the beach.

Local resident and photographer Raeline Smith said she had not seen anything like it in the 30-plus years she had lived near the beach.

She photographed the piles of shellfish and sent the images to DPIRD.

“This is just ridiculous. I don’t know what it’s going. I just hope they’re not foreign one ones,” Ms Smith said.

“I don’t know what it is. Down here we’re sort of at the end of the Leeuwin Current and you see rubbish coming all the way from Indonesia.

“The water temperature has drastically changed in the last couple of weeks by the feel of it — whether that had anything told with it, as well as the onshore winds — I don’t know.”

DPIRD said people should not swim or fish in areas of water with large of numbers of dead or decomposing fish because they could contain high levels of bacteria.

The dead sea creatures should not be collected, used as bait, consumed or allowed to come into contact with pets.

Possible fish kills can be reported to our FishWatch 24 hour hotline on 1800 815 507.