Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone is calling on the federal government to help battle nitrogen pollution in Long Island waters.

High nitrogen levels are believed to be a major factor in the recent fish kills, which have seen thousands of dead bunker fish wash up near the shores of the Peconic River. The dead fish have been piling up over the past few weeks.

Bellone says he wants federal funding to help control the nitrogen pollution.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation and Suffolk County health officials say they are working together to determine an exact cause of the recent fish kill.