Mass starfish deaths in Western Australia not linked to disease: gov't

Hundreds of starfish found dead on Western Australian beaches earlier this month have not linked to any disease or parasites, the Perth Department of Fisheries said on Monday.

Instead, the event has been labeled by Perth researchers as a normal occurrence and part of a life cycle event.

It was reported that almost 200 dead starfish had been washed off the coast of a Perth beach after an initial report indicated the number had been up to 1,000.

Samples of the dead starfish were taken from a Perth beach and were sent over to the fisheries department for further testing to determine what caused them to die.

No other dead aquatic animals had been seen or reported in the area, the fisheries department said.

At the time of the incident, people had been advised not to collect, handle, move or consume the dead fish for fear of being contaminated. Endit