Canada
Man fined for moving bait from VHS-positive waters
Oct 09, 2008 09:21 PM
Owen
Sound Sun Times, Ontario,CA
One Meaford-area commercial bait fisherman was fined $1,000 and another received a suspended sentence for moving bait fish that may have been infected with the fish disease viral hemorrhagic septicemia.
Bradley Wass, 49, was fined and Kenneth Wass, 21, received a suspended sentence after they both pleaded guilty to violating conditions of their commercial bait licence, the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a news release.
Justice of the Peace Bridgette Forster heard the case in Provincial Offences Court in Walkerton on Sept. 9.
The court heard that in October 2007 the men caught more than 1,000 litres of spottail shiners in the Bighead River, where viral hemorrhagic septicemia has been detected. VHS is harmless to humans but kills fish through internal organ failure.
They transported the fish to West Grey, where the disease has not been detected, the MNR says.
The disease, which affects a number of species including spottail shiners, may be spread by moving fish, water, vessels or equipment that has had contact with the virus, the MNR said.
To slow the spread of this disease in Ontario, the MNR established a management zone containing Ontario's virus-positive waters. Moving live bait fish from this zone to a disease-free zone is banned because it creates a serious risk that the virus will spread, the news release said.
Tens of thousands of fish infected with VHS have been found dead in Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. The virus mutated to exist in freshwater fish after its discovery first in saltwater fish in Europe.
About 20 Ontario fish ladders, including local ladders, were closed for a week in March 2007, then reopened, amid howls of protest from anglers and fishing clubs that doing so wouldn't stop the spread of a new threat to fish in the lower Great Lakes.
Source:
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1222362
One Meaford-area commercial bait fisherman was fined $1,000 and another received a suspended sentence for moving bait fish that may have been infected with the fish disease viral hemorrhagic septicemia.
Bradley Wass, 49, was fined and Kenneth Wass, 21, received a suspended sentence after they both pleaded guilty to violating conditions of their commercial bait licence, the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a news release.
Justice of the Peace Bridgette Forster heard the case in Provincial Offences Court in Walkerton on Sept. 9.
The court heard that in October 2007 the men caught more than 1,000 litres of spottail shiners in the Bighead River, where viral hemorrhagic septicemia has been detected. VHS is harmless to humans but kills fish through internal organ failure.
They transported the fish to West Grey, where the disease has not been detected, the MNR says.
The disease, which affects a number of species including spottail shiners, may be spread by moving fish, water, vessels or equipment that has had contact with the virus, the MNR said.
To slow the spread of this disease in Ontario, the MNR established a management zone containing Ontario's virus-positive waters. Moving live bait fish from this zone to a disease-free zone is banned because it creates a serious risk that the virus will spread, the news release said.
Tens of thousands of fish infected with VHS have been found dead in Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. The virus mutated to exist in freshwater fish after its discovery first in saltwater fish in Europe.
About 20 Ontario fish ladders, including local ladders, were closed for a week in March 2007, then reopened, amid howls of protest from anglers and fishing clubs that doing so wouldn't stop the spread of a new threat to fish in the lower Great Lakes.
Source:
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1222362
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Fishing in Canadian Waters
Jul 06, 2008 08:33 PM
If you are being harassed by Canadian law
enforcement officers while fishing in Canadian
waters, we strongly recommend that you contact your
local Michigan government official and
explain to them what is happening. Hopefully,
if enough people complain about this issue,
our Canadian-born governor can put some pressure
on Canada to stop this harassment. You can
locate your local government officials at
the links listed below.
Michigan House of Representatives: http://house.michigan.gov/representatives.asp
Michigan Senators: http://senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/find-your-senator.htm
Michigan House of Representatives: http://house.michigan.gov/representatives.asp
Michigan Senators: http://senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/find-your-senator.htm