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| News that could affect everyone who fishes the Great Lakes and the Mississippi... The DNR is seeking to prohibit the possession and use of live bait from outside Wisconsin, except minnows imported in compliance with federal requirements. Use of dead bait would also be prohibited, except on Lake Michigan or on the water the bait originated from, or when preserved in a way that would kill the virus.
The proposal would also affect transporting live fish or fish eggs from the Great Lakes or Mississippi River drainages.
Additionally, all boaters would be required to drain water from bilges, ballast, buckets and live wells immediately after leaving waters of the Great Lakes or Mississippi River drainage. To read the complete article http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070404/APC0101/70404101/1979 Dominic
Edited by Purple Skeeter 4/4/2007 6:48 PM
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Location: Menasha, WI | All live bait? I can understand minnows. MN already prohibits the import of live minnows w/o a permit. Leeches maybe, as they are transpoted in water and could potentially carry the virus. Crawlers, waxies, spikes? Doesn't make any sense. If that becomes the case, I might have to tailpipe Dominic for some of those sweet crawler spots over on his side of the river. |
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Location: Menasha, WI | Looks like the Natural Resources Board adopted an emergency order yesterday:
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) virus is present in the Great Lakes, but not yet in inland waters of Wisconsin. This rule will aid the Department in controlling the spread of VHS virus in the following ways:
1) It prohibits the possession on the water and use of live bait (crayfish, frogs, and minnows) from outside Wisconsin, except minnows imported in compliance with USDA APHIS and DATCP import and health requirements.
2) It prohibits the possession on the water and use of dead bait, except used on Lake Michigan or on the water the bait originated from, or when preserved in a way that would kill VHS virus.
3) It prohibits the transportation of live fish or fish eggs from waters of the Great Lakes or the Mississippi River drainage, except a) fish being exported in compliance with USDA APHIS regulations and orders, b) fish or fish eggs
tested and found to be free of VHS virus, and c) fish or fish eggs transported with the prior written approval of the Department.
4) It requires all boaters to drain water from bilges, ballast, buckets, and live wells immediately after leaving waters of the Great Lakes or of the Mississippi River drainage, unless exempted in writing by the Department.
5) It allows the Department to deny permits for the use of non-standard minnow gear to prevent the spread of invasive
species or diseases.
The entire 17 page text is online:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/agenda/2007/070401-green.pdf |
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Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | So, how will this effect tournaments on the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River? |
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Location: Menasha, WI | Sunshine - 4/5/2007 3:38 PM
So, how will this effect tournaments on the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River?
As far as I can tell it won't have much affect on tourneys as long as the fish aren't transported live away from the body of water. Off-site weigh-ins could be prohibited.
The significant restriction is the ban on the import of live minnows that don't meet federal standards. According to this morning's Minneapolis StarTribune, "each pond will have to be tested, or each lot of minnows," said Roy Johannes of Minnesota DNR fisheries. "Currently the testing process takes 28 days. That will really put a crimp on shipping any bait into Wisconsin from our state (MN)."
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Location: upper michigan | What about the guys buying 20 dozen willow cats at $4.00 a dozen if they keep them in there boat they will have to discard them after they leave the Mississippi river. It will force guys to not take any more in there boat then they think they can use in a day. The bait shops will be the ones to suffer the most. |
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Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | We may not be allowed to cross borders either. That's what is happening in Michigan at the FLW Detroit tourney. |
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Location: McFarland, WI | How about that dozen redtail chubs you didn't use today. Ouch. There will be major problems with the border situation. I talked with the WI Aquaculture people today and there were a lot of things that were not considered before issuing the order. This will be a quagmire.
Larry Strelow |
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Location: Chicago IL. | It looks like the MWC is going to be MI waters also. Alot of opened ended rules for MI./Can boundries. How do you really know where the borderline is on the river. Who determins if somebody crossed the line???? |
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | The new rules will not have any effect on the FLW Tour event in Red Wing other than the transport of bait. You can still buy bait in WI and use it on the MN or WI side of the river. It would be illegal to buy bait in MN and use it on the WI side. But as far as locking up/down and crossing boundaries to fish the river there aren't any changes. |
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Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Additional info.
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHSv)
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) virus is a serious pathogen of fresh and saltwater fish that is an emerging disease in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada.
Skin hemorrhages (bleeding) on a fish infected with Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHSv)
© Dr Jim Winton (USGS, Seattle WA), Dr Mohamed Faisal (MSU, Lansing MI) and Dr Paul Bowser (Cornell, Ithaca NY)
VHS virus is a rhabdovirus (rod shaped virus) that affects fish of all sizes and ages. It does not pose any threat to human health. VHS causes hemorrhaging of skin, muscle, and internal organs, and death follows. Some fish infected with VHS will develop antibodies to the virus and will survive. However, after a period of time the fish may start shedding virus again and spread the disease to other fish.
In Wisconsin's Great Lakes
Based on the diagnosis of VHS virus in Chinook, walleye, and lake whitefish from Lake Huron in 2006, fisheries biologists believe the virus is probably already in Lake Michigan, and ballast discharged from ships may have moved the virus to port cities on Lake Superior.
In Fall 2006, the DNR, with the help of the US Fish and Wildlife Service La Crosse Fish Health Center and the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, tested spawning Chinook and coho salmon, brown trout, lake whitefish, bloater chubs, and yellow perch from Lake Michigan for VHS virus. Spawning lake trout, gobies, yellow perch, and emerald shiners from Lake Superior were also tested. VHS virus was not detected in any species.
What are the clinical signs of VHS?
The clinical signs of VHS may include hemorrhaging (bleeding), unusual behavior, anemia, bulging eyes, bloated abdomens, and the rapid onset of death; however, these symptoms could apply to many different fish diseases. VHS must be confirmed by lab tests. Additionally, some infected fish may not show any signs and transporting these fish to new locations could spread the disease to new waters.
Thumbnails link to larger images.
The clinical signs of VHS include hemorrhaging in the muscle tissue and internal organs, pale organs, and bulging eyes.
© Dr Jim Winton (USGS, Seattle WA), Dr Mohamed Faisal (MSU, Lansing MI) and Dr Paul Bowser (Cornell, Ithaca NY)
How is VHS spread?
VHS virus is shed in the urine and reproductive fluids of fish into the water and the virus can survive in water for at least 14 days. Virus particles in the water infect the gills of the fish and within 2 days, the infected fish will start shedding the virus. Thus, water discharged from live wells, bilges and bait buckets can spread the virus from infected waters. Moving live, infected fish from one location to another will also spread the virus. Fish can also become infected by eating an infected fish. Other ways that the virus may be spread include natural fish movements, recreational boating/angling, birds, ballast water discharge, and research activities.
Emergency Rule - Controlling the spread of VHS
The Natural Resources Board on April 4, 2007, adopted an amended emergency Administrative rule [PDF 240KB] that will aid the Department in controlling the spread of VHS to inland waters. This emergency rule goes into effect on Sunday, April 8, 2007.
What does the rule mean for anglers?
Leeches, worms, and insects are OK. The use of leaches, worms, and insects for bait is not affected by the new rules. In these rules the term bait means all or part of any frog, crayfish, fish, or fish egg.
Be careful with live bait. If you want to use live bait (crayfish, frogs, fish, or fish egg), the bait must be a) purchased from a licensed bait dealer, b) captured legally in the water to be fished, or c) captured in an inland lake or stream and retained for use in another inland lake or stream.
Be careful with dead bait. If you want to use dead bait (all or part of any fish, fish egg, crayfish, or frog), the bait must be a) used on Lake Michigan (including Green Bay and tributaries up to the first dam), b) used on the lake or stream where it was captured, or c) preserved by means other than refrigeration or freezing.
Kill your fish after fishing the Great Lakes or Mississippi River. You may not transport live fish or fish eggs (including both bait and game fish) away from waters of the Great Lakes or Mississippi River drainages (including tributaries up to the first dam), except under certain unusual circumstances (contact DNR office for information).
Drain your boat and live well. After fishing or boating on the waters of the Great Lakes or Mississippi River (including tributaries up to the first dam), you must immediately drain all water from the boat and boat trailer, including any bilge, ballast tank, bait bucket, and live well.
Additional Information about Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) [exit DNR]
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute [exit DNR]
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia in New York [exit DNR]
VHS Briefing Paper [exit DNR] - Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources
VHS Fact Sheet [PDF 994KB]
Contact Information
For specific information on the VHS virus, please contact:
Sue Marcquenski
Fish Health Specialist
(608) 266-2871
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Location: Menasha, WI | jerry - 4/6/2007 6:22 AM
The new rules will not have any effect on the FLW Tour event in Red Wing other than the transport of bait. You can still buy bait in WI and use it on the MN or WI side of the river. It would be illegal to buy bait in MN and use it on the WI side. But as far as locking up/down and crossing boundaries to fish the river there aren't any changes.
The way I understand MN law, if you're launching in Red Wing you can only use minnows purchased in MN. The regulation in MN is stated, "Importing live minnows into Minnesota for use as bait is unlawful." (MN 2007 Regs, p. 13). This has been on the books for several years. |
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Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Visual look at VHS.
Attachments
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 vhsexternalhem[1].jpg (17KB - 96 downloads)
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| Where is it posted that this was pasted? I was on the WI-DNR website and there was no news release. It is not that I don't believe it, I just have not seen the official word. This is like using a bandaid to stop the bleeding of a severed head.
Good luck, Doug |
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Location: Green Bay, WI | I found it myself. Goes into effect 4/7/2007. I like the part about throwing out all left over bait. That shold smell good at DePere!
Good Luck, Doug |
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Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | CaptDoug - 4/6/2007 12:41 PM
Where is it posted that this was pasted? I was on the WI-DNR website and there was no news release. It is not that I don't believe it, I just have not seen the official word. This is like using a bandaid to stop the bleeding of a severed head.
Good luck, Doug
http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhs.html |
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| Doug,
The original article I linked to was from my local paper.. The Appleton Post Crescrent.
Dominic |
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