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| will it then become incumbant on the DNR to stock only with offspring of fish showing a titre for the disease?
If it is going to be a long term thing that would seem to be the future of stocking, either that or vaccination of the fingerlings.
Dave N., do you have any insight? |
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| FSF
I also have a couple of questions for Dave N. or Jordan W.
If a fishermen catches a fish and can positively identify it as having the VHS virus would it be better to keep the the fish and dispose of it or won't that make a difference in already contaminated waters?
Second could the DNR, or any other agency which might have them, publish or post pictures of diseased fish to help us identify infected fish we catch?
Chris |
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Posts: 512
Location: Appleton | http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhs.html Hopefully this link will help.
Edited by Team Rhino 5/14/2007 1:44 PM
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| Here is a good current article.
http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1240&category=Environmen... |
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Location: Nowheresville, MN | That's probably a good idea, BUT how do we determine which fish have the resistance?...We must first have infection and a large kill to get at the survivors. Don't forget the survivors still carry and transmit the disease. The only course is to get fish from non-infected waters and cross the fingers that it does not spread. |
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| tfootstalker - 5/14/2007 6:11 PM
That's probably a good idea, BUT how do we determine which fish have the resistance?...We must first have infection and a large kill to get at the survivors. Don't forget the survivors still carry and transmit the disease. The only course is to get fish from non-infected waters and cross the fingers that it does not spread.
Well, I read the article. The first thing that occurred to me is that containment is going to be impossible in connected waterways. The IL river comes out of the great lakes and is a free pathway for infected fish to the MS drainage which goes both north and south until it hits dams, connects with all rivers not east or west of the continental divides and I would expect the disease to affect all this area up to the first impassable dam. This will include most any lake with an outlet. Landlocked lakes will be safe until some stooge brings it in either by design or ignorance. Lakes above impassable dams will also be safe until such happens.
The problem with stocking disease free fish in susceptible waterways is that they are then a susceptible population. Either they need to be vaccinated fish or fish with maternal immunity passed along by the mother? If that is possible in fish?? They don't afterall, nurse. However, resistance may be genetically linked somewhat. If they are going to try and maintain some of their populations as disease free in connected waterways, somebody better come up with a fish proof barrier to block upward passage of even a minnow, and it better be in place and working 24/7 very soon. I am still wondering how the stocking will go in the face of this or, whether there will be any more stocking at all. May be the end of musky fishing as we know it in the U.S.. I have heard some of the quotes for Great Lakes waterways and they are somewhat scary in some areas. I am fearful of lakes like St. Clair and what it could do to that fishery, and so many of the more concentrated inland fisheries. |
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Location: Nowheresville, MN | firstsixfeet - 5/14/2007 6:55 PM
Lakes above impassable dams will also be safe until such happens.
Little Lake Butte des mortes and Winnebgao are upstream of L. Michigan, what 30-50 river miles. I don't know how many dams and locks separate the the chain, but it is many, maybe 15-30.
Indeed stocking efforts into the future will be affected. Still there is only one way to know if a fish is resistant and that is to expose them and see what happens. If poosible, it would be years before a viable brood population could be established. A new lake will have to be used, or the old one killed, and many adults will be needed if spawn taking operations are to continue as they do. Whatever the case, if the process is to change it will surely cost more money which means some program will suffer. That is unless the legislature would get off there hind end and pass dedicated funding... |
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Location: On your favorite spot | "will it then become incumbant on the DNR to stock only with offspring of fish showing a titre for the disease? "
Fat chance - I haven't heard anything from anyone connected to the DNR in Minnesota that leads me to believe anyone is concerned here - where did the zebra mussels in Mille Lacs come from? Any doubt VHS is on it's way?
We're still talking about milfoil here and we know milfoil certainly doesn't kill fish. I don't mean to be an alarmist, having a limited understanding of the disease myself, but sounds like we're screwed. Better enjoy the fishing for the next few years.... |
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