No more minnows?

[jeremy L]

From what i was told today, there is a virus that is effecting minnows in the great lakes. This virus doesn't kill the host or harm humans, but can kill any gamefish which feeds on the minnows IF the gamefish is in less then good health.

Now, From what i heard, the DNR, DEG, or someone wants to ban all sale of minnows from the great lakes. they also want to ban personal netting of minnows from the great lakes. The baitshop owner i was talking to was told they only way to get minnows if the law passes will be to have them shipped from farms and ONLY Flathead/mud minnows will be brought in.

Now, i don't know all the details or the whole story, but i would really like to find out. The owner has petition slips to halt this order.

Anymore info would be VERY VERY helpful.

Edit, i see HR has the story in the news forum also.

[andy capp]

Not only that they are banning the transportation of 35 or same game fish across state and international borders. Which means no going to the canadian side of st clair for perch..also you would not be able to buy minnows here and fish there.

[Slick fishing]

Oh this is crazy now what else can go wrong, I hope there is no major problem.. The big grip I have if your fishing a single body of water if it be Canada or the U.S. ther should be no issue if you buy minnows over there or over here or transport back and forth as long as you dont infect any other waters if there is a major problem within the great lakes, by the way mud minnows "SUCK":lol:.. Cya Slick

[alex-v]

Not only that they are banning the transportation of 35 or same game fish across state and international borders. Which means no going to the canadian side of st clair for perch..also you would not be able to buy minnows here and fish there.
The transporting of minnows or small fish for using as bait is going to be stopped. But, I have yet to see where they are going to ban the transporting of food fish such as the perch or walleye.

So far they are going to allow sports caught fish to be transported since these fish will not be returned back to the water they came from or to another lake.

BTW, the virus is in the water and is not caused by the minnows. The minnows have it and so do most of the other fish. They want to stop the transporting of live fish to stop the spread of the disease into the inland lakes.

The virus has the initials of VHS. There are many articles that have already appeared in newspapers here in Michigan and in Ontario.

[andy capp]

Its already a done deal, Im trying to find the list. Its basically most fish in the great lakes that are fished for. You are technically not allowed to transport live fish across borders. So if you want to bring them back they HAVE TO BE DEAD! Im telling you, its written by the feds and they are going to enforce it.

They on the other hand, are trying to have an emergency ammendment meeting to see what they can do about amending it so fish can be transported across vboundry lines. Do you realize that if what is current, walleye and bass tournement fishers would have to stay in the state the tourney is held out of?

[Homie]

Is there anything we can do about this, or are our hands tied? anyone got any info.

[jeremy L]

Is there anything we can do about this, or are our hands tied? anyone got any info.

I have a petition sheet which i was given by a local baitshop owner. He has a bunch and said other places do as well. I don't know where you could find one in your area however: Found online site for petition.
http://www.petitiononline.com/ActOnVHS/petition.html

[BradU20]

some more general info on the disease....

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/cei/taf/emergingdiseasenotice_files/vhsgreatlakes.htm

[Homie]

I have a petition sheet which i was given by a local baitshop owner. He has a bunch and said other places do as well. I don't know where you could find one in your area however: Found online site for petition.
http://www.petitiononline.com/ActOnVHS/petition.html.... Jeremy thanks for the info. atleast we can be heard. I was able to sign the petition. Up to 584 people now. It will take a lot more than that! thanks again.

[alex-v]

I can understand the hassle this will put on people who use minnows for bait but after doing some more reading this fish disease might be more dangerous to our fishery than you guys realize.

If this VHS virus gets into inland lakes it could wipe out the entire sport fish population.

Don't take the possibility of a minnow transportation ban personnally. It might be a good thing if it keeps the inland lakes healthy. Look at what this VHS did to the Musky in Lake St. Clair last spring. Ask some of the Musky charter captains and the guys who go out just for Musky once or twice a week. Ask them if the Musky fishing was just as good in 2006 after the die-off.

[Michigander1]

My buddy went to a meeting about this about a week ago.Said some guy that sells fish is going under.Cant ship fish out of state anymore.Alive or dead.So its not only about minnows,Mich

[STEINFISHSKI]

Here is another link. This disease is responsible for the big fish kills lately. It could devastate a lake or system, or an entire hatchery.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=164516

[SabikiRig]

Here is another good link:

http://www.savethebaitbusiness.com/

[double trouble]

The Michigan deq-dnr said that the muskie and shad die off this spring was a "natural occurence" caused by low oxygen levels. This shows how much our beloved government agency can be trusted to protect the waters we enjoy.
This virus has been identified since 2004 and now we are finally getting some belated action.
If our government heroes had been really acting in our interests ,they would have helped pass an invasive species act in conjunction with the federal government and bordering countries, and states,many years ago.
This reaction instead of pro active measures is a clear message that the leadership in Lansing has failed again.
lets look at the past records:

1) b.k.d.
2) spiny water flea
3) round nose goby
4) zebra mussels
5) quagga mussels
6) vhs

These are among the 180 invasive species and virus' allowed by a singular failure to have ships ballast water treated properly .lets hope the new laws passed recently will be more effective.

hopefully ,the new regulations will not be circumvented by the shipping industry again while our local heroes wring their hands and complain about their poor budget.
It reminds me of doctors and their drugs.The doctors do not want to cure disease, they just wish to treat symptoms. this way it perpetuates their industry. The same goes for police. without the drug business, over half of police officers would lose their jobs.They are always complaining that they do not have enough money to solve the problem ,but never really taking true measures to complete the job.
Government action at its finest.

[SabikiRig]

Double Trouble:

With regards to Ballast Water here is a great read with a photo gallery:

http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/projects/nobob/nobob.html

As published in the URL above:

"Goals and Objectives

Greater than 75% of vessels entering the Great Lakes in recent years declared that they have no pumpable ballast water on board ("no-ballast-on-board", or "NOBOB"). Such vessels are not subject to ballast management regulations. Previous studies have shown that the "empty" ballast tanks in NOBOB vessels often contain an unpumpable residual mixture of sediment and water accumulated from previous ballasting operations. Once NOBOB vessels off-load cargo at a Great Lakes port, they take on lake water as ballast and then move to another port within the lakes. Before adding new cargo, these vessels must discharge some or all of their new ballast water, and in the process, can potentially discharge nonindigenous species from the original residual ballast material in their tanks.

A few studies have reported data on the characteristics of biota in NOBOB tanks, and show the residual water and sediment in these tanks may contain thousands of live organisms, their resting stages (resting eggs and cysts), and microorganisms, including human pathogens. Resting stages have been largely overlooked, yet may represent a significant potential source for introductions. However, a thorough characterization and nonindigenous species risk assessment of NOBOB residuals on ships operating in the Great Lakes did not exist prior to this study."

[double trouble]

so a major study was done 4 years ago ,but in reality nothing has been done.
the ships that claim to be ballast water free may be the worst offenders as a threat to the great lakes. good job finding the study. i can't imagine why it has not been made front page news! can you say cover up! i can.

[SabikiRig]

Double Trouble:

Here is another article which you may find interesting as well:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061228/METRO/612280362/1003&template=printart

[alex-v]

My buddy went to a meeting about this about a week ago.Said some guy that sells fish is going under.Cant ship fish out of state anymore.Alive or dead.So its not only about minnows,Mich
Does this mean that there will not be any more commercial fishing?? How are they going to get fish to the wholesalers and then to the supermarkets??

[jeremy L]

Does this mean that there will not be any more commercial fishing?? How are they going to get fish to the wholesalers and then to the supermarkets??
No, they are allowed to ship fish out of state because they are not living and are prepared, posing no risk. I'll look for the article i read that in later.

[Blaketrout]

That's a good article Sabiki Rig. Thanks for sharing.

Glad to see Michigan taking a lead role in combating exotics. Too bad the gutless feds aren't taking a stand against the shipping industry practices. If they don't want to fix their problem now make them financially liable as a whole for the next invaders damage. I wonder what would be cheaper?

[Zofchak]

Does anyone have a link to info about the possible banning of Great Lakes in state minnow sales and netting for personal use? I can understand the ban on moving live fish between different states and different bodies of water, but not being able use minnows in the same body of water from which they were caught water makes little sense.:confused:

[alex-v]

Does anyone have a link to info about the possible banning of Great Lakes in state minnow sales and netting for personal use?
I have not heard of any mention that they were banning the catching of minnows for personal use in the same lake as they were caught. It could be, but, I have not heard of it yet.

[Flash]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16825280/

I posted this in a new thread. Was actually looking for this one. Thanks Alex-V for the heads up.

[alex-v]

This virus looks to be more of a serious threat than just about anything else to come along. Even the zebra mussels and the problems they have caused will be nothing compared to loosing the fishery for several years.