In the first, more than 10,000 fish turned up dead. Three weeks later, thousands of distressed menhaden thrashed around the surface as sea gulls swooped down and ate them. By last week parts of the Pocomoke, the Chicamacomico and King's Creek were declared off limits. The nutrients could come from many sources, including sewage- treatment plants. Chicken manure is commonly used as fertilizer on farmlands around the affected waterways.
Environmentalists say when it runs off into the water, it brings excessive levels of nitrogen.
They have called for restrictions on the use of manure, including more use of sheds to prevent it from being washed into the water by rainfall. But chicken farmers complain that they are being unfairly singled out. They're pointing fingers our way, but it's probably a combination of things. The poultry industry has already reacted angrily to calls for mandatory nutrient-management legislation, and followers of state politics predict it will use its clout in the legislature to fight any new restrictions. I'm sure they will be very involved in protecting their interests.