Dear Colleague;

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has reconvened the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia and is in the process of revising its Euthanasia Guidelines. Members of the Panel's Aquatics Working Group are interested in receiving constructive comments regarding the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia, available for inspection on the web at: http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/euthanasia.pdf.

The Aquatics Working Group (AWG) will be concentrating their efforts on fish and aquatic invertebrates and are interested in receiving constructive comments regarding these taxa. 

Specifically, the AWG is interested in hearing about:
* which sections on the euthanasia of finfish and other aquatic species they believe are still appropriate and scientifically justified;
* which sections are not feasible or no longer justified;
* if any circumstances are not covered sufficiently; or,
* if there are any other issues that have not been resolved or discussed in the document.

Please provide the AWG with scientific or gray literature citations that are relevant and not presently incorporated into the existing document.

Send your e-mail suggestions to, and give your contact information in case we have questions. 

Please put in the email subject line: "Euthanasia comments".

Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Roy P. E. Yanong, VMD
Chair, AVMA Panel on Euthanasia, AWG
rpy@ufl.edu

By Tom Watts, Journal Register News Service
We are thankful for many things on this holiday, but when it comes to our water resources in Southeast Michigan, we are grateful when good news gushes our way.

Small miracles do happen on the Detroit River. Land that was once used a chemical dump has been turned into new habitat for bass, sturgeon and walleye.

Some of the leaders in this comeback project may surprise you. John Hartig, Detroit River International Refuge Manager, said the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality took the lead in negotiating and approving the cleanup of the BASF Corporation Riverview site in the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have a goal to reduce levels of toxic substances to a threshold that does not threaten or harm or adversely affect wildlife, fish or human health, Hartig said. "We have an interest in stopping the input of toxic substances to the river and refuge."

Hartig said the USFWS provided input to the DEQ and BASF regarding the need to stop the input of contaminants from the BASF Riverview site.

"Further, we encouraged the removal of 35,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the Trenton Channel (out in front of the BASF Riverview site) and disposal of the contaminated sediment in the upland containment cell on site," Hartig said. "An inward hydraulic gradient is maintained, stopping any input of contaminants. Once the sediment remediation was completed, BASF built one acre of fish habitat."

Once the input of contaminants was stopped and the sediment remediation was completed, the USFWS encouraged BASF to construct the fish habitat and provided advice.

For their part, BASF spent about $100,000 on the habitat. "The money was used to purchase limestone rock for fish spawning habitat and to place the stone in the river," Hartig said. "They also added some incidental habitat (habitat features added to navigational structures like break walls and jetties) at the base of the steel sheet pile wall."
Records indicate BASF acquired the property near the Grosse Ile toll bridge and the Riverview boat dock in the 1960s. The land was used as a dump site by its previous owner. In 1998, mercury, PCBs and dioxin were found to be contaminating the groundwater.

"This habitat project was done as part of the Michigan DEQ approved remediation of the BASF Riverview site," Hartig said. "Again, once the input of contaminants was stopped (as a result of the remediation) and 35,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments in the Trenton Channel remediated, then one acre of fish habitat was constructed."


Click here for the entire article:
http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2009/11/29/sports/srv0000006948301.txt

Containment Standards for Facilities handling Aquatic Animal pathogens

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is seeking comments on the Containment Standards for Facilities Handling Aquatic Animal Pathogens. The draft Standards are available for comment on the CFIA website until January 4, 2010.

Federal standards exist for laboratories handling human pathogens and for facilities handling animal pathogens. The new standards outline the unique physical and operational containment requirements for facilities working with aquatic animal pathogens.

The CFIA issues import permits for aquatic animal pathogens under the Health of Animals Act. Once the Standards come into effect, only facilities meeting the requirements will be issued an import permit. The Standards will also be used to provide guidance on the handling of aquatic animal pathogens found in Canada.

A multi-disciplinary group including representatives from the federal government, academia and industry have reviewed the Standards.

Comments on the draft Standards can be submitted to standardsnormes@inspection.gc.ca and will be accepted until January 4, 2010.

We would ask that anyone who submits comments on the wording of the draft Standards to provide suggested alternate wording where possible.

Once the consultation period is complete, the comments will be reviewed and any necessary revisions will be made. The Standards will then be finalized, with a transition period to follow until December 31, 2010. Following the transition period, the Standards will come into effect on January 1, 2011 and will be mandatory for facilities importing aquatic animal pathogens.

For more information, please contact:
Office of Biohazard Containment and Safety
Canadian Food Inspection Agency,
Standards and Guidelines
standardsnormes@inspection.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-221-4219        

The draft Standards, open for comments, is accessible at:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/sci/bio/anima/aqu/csfncie.shtml

Steve Pardo / The Detroit News

Federal officials say DNA evidence shows the aggressive Asian carp may have breached the electronic barrier designed to prevent it from invading the Great Lakes.

Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers said today that DNA of the giant carp has been found north of the barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The Cal-Sag channel leads to Lake Michigan. Environmentalists fear the carp could wreak havoc on the region's $4.5 billion fishing industry.
"This means we have to take aggressive action now because an invasion is imminent," said Jennifer Nalbone, director of Navigation and Invasive Species at Great Lakes United. "This is not the time for deliberation. This is the time for action."

Asian carp escaped from Southern fish farms in the 1990s and have been migrating up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. They grow to more than 4 feet long and weigh up to 100 pounds. The powerful carp are known to knock boaters from their boats.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20091120/METRO/911200420/1409/METRO

Largest ever fish health study to get under way

THE largest ever study into the health benefits of eating fish is about to get under way later this year. The $20-million US Government sponsored probe is to examine whether fish oil and Vitamin D can help prevent heart disease, cancer and a range of other illnesses.

The heart benefits of eating fish - and oily fish in particular - have been flagged up for years and are unashamedly used by seafood companies when marketing their products. Just recently oily fish is claimed to help prevent a range of other health problems from mental illness to blindness.

But some of the claims are now being challenged, pointing out that ...

See the source (http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/12679) for the full story.

Scientists advise caution with transgenic fish
SWEDEN - Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Researchers studying transgenic fish at the University of Gothenburg at the behest of the European Union (EU) have highlighted the potential of the fish to revolutionise fish farming but warned against its open system cultivation.

"Until further notice, transgenic fish should be bred in closed systems on land," specified Fredrik Sundström at the Department of Zoology of the university.

The fast-growing fish, however, can go a long way towards taking the weight off endangered and overexploited wild fish stocks, he noted.

The scientists furnished fish with transgenes, or genes from other organisms, and were able to produce fish that can grow substantially faster and can resist diseases with greater resilience. It was found that fish genes can be modified to handle different situations more smoothly, such as survival and spawning in colder temperatures, and yield higher production volumes.
Regardless, if these fish should enter the wild, they may cause harmful effects to the ecosystem.

In terms of toxins, these fish ...

See the source (http://tinyurl.com/l54zfs) for the full story.

Congress could allocate up to $475 million for Great Lakes cleanup and restoration. A look at how the money would be spent:

Fighting invasives

The Great Lakes system has 180 invasive species that crowd out and could destroy native fish, wildlife and plants.

They include such plants as the purple loosestrife which, free of its back-home European insect predator, forms dense patches that frogs, muskrats and ducks can't use as suitable nesting and hiding sites or food.

One new invasive arrives every eight months from such sources as oceangoing commercial ships, recreational boat trailers, anglers' bait, gardeners and exotic pet owners.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative would tackle the problem in part by developing and implementing ballast treatment systems for oceangoing vessels.
Researchers will compete for nearly $9 million in grants for projects to prevent, control and destroy invasives.

Scientists will also look for troublesome waterways that may need barriers, similar to the electric fence built at the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal to try to prevent the voracious Asian carp from moving from the Mississippi River into Lake Michigan.

Environmentalists also want to develop education and outreach programs for hunters, anglers and recreational boaters so they aren't unintentionally adding invasive species to the water system. Programs could include sterilizing buckets and boat trailers.

Habitat restoration

Commercial development, invasive species and dams have contributed to the loss of more than two-thirds of Great Lakes wetlands, sometimes called the "kidneys" of the system because they clean out pollutants from water as well as provide shelter for wildlife.

Environmentalists hope to eventually restore 500,000 acres of wetlands.

"If you don't restore the wetlands, you won't have fish to catch, ducks to hunt or wildlife to watch," said Gildo Tori, director of public policy at Ducks Unlimited. "It's not just about the wildlife. It's about tourism, recreation and the quality of life for residents."

The bill sets as a goal to fund protection and restoration of 23,000 acres of coastal, wetland, shoreline and upland habitats, as well as 1,000 miles of streams for fish passage.

Native species, which have either died out due to invasives or commercial development, must be replenished. For examples, grants will be awarded to plant wild rice.

Artificial reefs could be built to provide spawning habitat for fish, and aquatic grasses would be planted for fish to hide in.
Some land, including agricultural areas, is likely to be bought to restore earlier wetlands. Landowners will also be paid to make their property more wildlife-friendly.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090831/LIFESTYLE14/908310319/5-targets-of-Great-Lakes-cleanup

Supporters hope Obama pledge will bring environmental, economic boost
Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington -- Congress is poised to nearly double its funding commitment to the Great Lakes, adding up to $475 million for restoration that would deter invasive species, clean up polluted sites and create jobs in Michigan and the region.

Earth-mover Craig Hamlin is encouraged because a surge in federal funds could mean new business.

Since home building went bust in Michigan, Hamlin has kept his business going by digging up land to create wetlands instead of basements.

"Great Lakes work is pretty much all there is," said Hamlin, whose bulldozers, other heavy equipment and crews are transforming 70 acres of corn and bean farmland in Newport into a wetlands habitat for migratory birds along Lake Erie.

"These Great Lakes jobs affect a lot of people," added Hamlin of Hamlin Grading in Stockbridge. "Beyond my own workers, probably another 150 people end up getting work, by making pipes, or pumps and other materials we use."

The unprecedented amount of money being considered for the Great Lakes reflects President Barack Obama's pledge on the campaign trail of $5 billion for large-scale restoration.

Obama asked Congress for $475 million to get started. Already the federal government appropriates about $550 million a year to Great Lakes programs, which environmentalists expect will continue. If all goes as advocates hope, Congress would be committing about $1 billion to the Great Lakes in fiscal year 2010.

"This is a Great Lakes president," said Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Flint, noting Obama built his career in Illinois. "He really cares about the Lakes because he knows them."

The House passed Obama's requested amount in June. The Senate seeks less money -- $400 million -- in a bill that could pass as early as mid-September.

Click here to read the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090831/LIFESTYLE14/908310371/$1-billion-proposed-in-2010-for-Great-Lakes-restoration

CVM Update
April 20, 2009
Source: http://www.fda.gov/cvm/CVM_Updates/NADAAppFish.htm

FDA Issues a Notice of the Availability of Effectiveness Data to Support a New Animal Drug Application for Fish

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a Public Master File (PMF) containing effectiveness data for use of oxytetracycline quaternary salt in feed for two indications:  to control mortality in freshwater-reared salmonids due to coldwater disease associated with Flavobacterium psychrophilum and to control mortality in freshwater-reared Oncorhynchus mykiss due to columnaris disease associated with Flavobacterium columnare. 

The data have been reviewed by FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and may be used by pharmaceutical sponsors at no cost, along with the additional manufacturing, labeling, and other required information to constitute a complete new animal drug application (NADA), to support the approval of this drug. 

Today's announcement is not for the approval of this drug - only that effectiveness data are available to support a pharmaceutical sponsor's new animal drug application for this drug. 

The data, contained in Public Master File (PMF) 5927, was compiled by researchers at the Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Program http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/home.htm, a partnership-based program to conserve, protect, and enhance the Nation's fishery resources by coordinating activities to obtain FDA approval for drugs needed in aquaculture and fisheries management programs.

For additional information on aquaculture, please see http://www.fda.gov/cvm/aqualibtoc.

Good afternoon, As some of you may be aware, the 15th Annual U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Aquaculture Drug Approval Coordination Workshop is being hosted this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center (SNARC; from Stuttgart, Arkansas). The Workshop is being held in Little Rock, Arkansas and will take place during the week of 8 June 2009. A recently updated General Agenda has been added to our website, and can be viewed (along with other important information) at the following link: http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/inadworkshop09.htm To help our host ensure that the meetings and all associated activities run as efficiently as possible, please register as early as possible. On-line registration ($25 payment to be made at the Workshop) and all current Workshop information can be found by clicking on the link above. Hope to see you there. If the experiences of those attending past Workshops is any indication, you can expect this year's Workshop to be both highly informative and enjoyable. The folks at SNARC have done an excellent job of arranging for a variety of afternoon and evening events (see the General Agenda for details), all of which are included within the modest registration fee. My apologies to those who may have received this email more than once; overlapping mailing lists. Cheers. Thomas A. Bell, PhD U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership 4050 Bridger Canyon Road Bozeman, Montana 59715 Phone: 406-994-9911 Fax: 406-582-0242 Email: thomas_a_bell@fws.gov Webpage: http://fisheries.fws.gov/aadap

Starting April 1, 09,  Virkon Aquatic is priced at 20% off regular pricing at Western Chemical.  This is the best price ever offered on Virkon Aquatic and it is a good time to stock up.  
 
Virkon Aquatic is a Disinfectant / Virucide for use in disinfecting fish hauling trucks, boats, trailers, waders, nets, dive suits, tanks, equipment, sampling gear, fishing tackle etc. It is ideal for use in disinfecting foot baths.  In many facilities it is being used as an alternative to bleach, Iodophore, and quaternary ammonia for routine disinfection and biosecurity tasks.
 
Advantages  of Virkon Aquatic solution include:
 
Effective - Kills Viruses, Bacteria, Fungi, Mold.
Fast acting - 10 minutes is maximum contact time needed.
Non corrosive - Safe for metals, neoprene, boots, netting, plastics etc.
Non Irritating - Solutions are non Irritating to skin and eyes.
Minimal Environmental Effect -  Decomposes to inorganic salts.
Labeling – EPA approved for use in aquaculture
 
Virkon Aquatic is available in 10 pound Tubs and new single use packets. The attached flyer will provide more information on Virkon Aquatic and our Spring 2009 Special. The special is in effect for a limited time only so don’t delay. 
 
For  more information on Virkon Aquatic visit our website at:    http://www.wchemical.com/VIRKON-AQUATIC-P44.aspx
 
Please let me know if you have an questions.
 
Best Regards,
 
Ron
 
Ron Malnor
Director of Sales
Western Chemical Inc.- An Aquatic Life Sciences Company
Office 1(800) 283-5292,  (360) 384-5898
Mobile: (360) 303-4297,  Fax: (360) 384-0270
ronm@wchemical.com,  www.wchemical.com
1269 Lattimore Road, Ferndale, Washington USA  98248

FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Announces First Drug to be Placed in the Index of Legally Marketed Unapproved New Animal Drugs for Minor Species Although the Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act of 2004 provides FDA with the authority to place unapproved animal drugs for minor uses or minor species (MUMS) on an Index of legally marketable drugs, it has taken over four years for associated regulations to be written and for a new drug to work its way through the system. But, we are delighted to say the system DOES work, and the very first drug was recently (19 March 2006) added to the MUMS Index list. Congratulations to Western Chemical, Inc. (Ferndale, Washington) and CVM’s Office of Minor Use Minor Species. Western Chemical, Inc. received word that their spawning hormone, OVAPRIM® (salmon gonadotropin releasing hormone analog plus domperidone), may now be legally marketed as a spawning aid for use with ornamental fish broodstock. Refer to CVM’s Index webpage (http://www.fda.gov/cvm/MUMSIndexList.htm) and the most recent “CVM Update” (http://www.fda.gov/cvm/NewAnimalDrugIndex.htm) for additional information on Ovaprim® or Western’s website (http://www.wchemical.com/OVAPRIM-P66C20.aspx). Animal drugs that are on the Index carry with them specific conditions for use: (1) they may only be used on non-food fish, (2) they may only be used for the condition(s) identified in the Index, (3) the drug may only be obtained from the manufacturer identified on the Index, and (4) the drug may not be extra-label prescribed by a veterinarian. FOR GENERAL INFORMATION Contact: USFWS-Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership, phone 406-994-9911 Website: http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/home.htm

The USDA-APHIS has launched a new Fish Health website. You can view the new site at http://www.focusonfishhealth.org/.

Farmed Fish Feelings and Husbandry Systems

EU - The Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Panel has delivered their Scientific Opinion on the welfare aspects of husbandry systems for farmed trout.

The scientific opinion focus on the two main species farmed as 'trout' in Europe, these are the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792); and the brown trout; Salmo trutta L 1758. Trout are produced across Europe for various purposes and in a wide variety of production systems however there has been no systematic survey of production systems and husbandry procedures at a European level.

From the data presented in the scientific report, several factors affecting trout welfare were identified: abiotic and biotic factors, feed and feeding, husbandry, genetic, disease and disease control measures.

A risk assessment approach was carried out to obtain a risk ranking for these groups of factors, estimate which hazards are more important for each life stage and enable a comparison of the different production systems. ... ...

See (http://tinyurl.com/5lk43o) for the full story.

The EFSA report is available at http://tinyurl.com/6c3xgo.

Here's the page from today's (01/02/09) Federal Register which contains the notice of delay of eff. date of the VHS interim rule:

VHS indef. delay eff. date in FR.01.02.09

APHIS has published the VHS Interim Rule in the Federal Register, and updated the documents defining species and areas affected by the Interim Rule.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/aquaculture/

We have also placed a Q&A document on the VHS Interim Rule under "In the News" on the APHIS web site:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

There is a 60 day comment period on the rule; however the rule will go into effect on November 10, 2008 as currently written.  We will take comments into consideration when we finalize the rule at a future date.

Thank you,

Gary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P. Gary Egrie, VMD
Senior Staff Veterinary Medical Officer, Aquaculture Program
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
4700 River Road, Unit 46
Riverdale, MD 20737
(301) 734-0695 (Office)
(301) 734-4982 (Fax)
(240) 460-5986 (Cell)

ScienceDaily (Jun. 4, 2008) — A Michigan Technological University professor has developed a new water treatment that could help keep a deadly fish disease out of Lake Superior.

David Hand, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Tech, has devised a simple way to treat ballast water in vessels ranging from pleasure craft to ore boats. His method is designed to kill the virus that causes viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), an often-fatal disease that has been attacking fish populations in the lower Great Lakes.

Hand's treatment is simple. The ballast water is disinfected with sodium hypochlorite—ordinary household bleach. Then it is treated with ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, which neutralizes the bleach before the water is released into the lake.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604104354.htm

U.S. officials say state's water, air at risk
BY TINA LAM • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • JUNE 6, 2008

• Environmental groups and U.S. officials are sounding alarms about two major new Canadian projects -- a heavy oil mega refinery along the St. Clair River and an underground radioactive waste repository near Lake Huron -- they say could put Michigan air and water at risk for decades.

Michigan residents and businesses won't benefit from the projects and are largely unaware of them. Opponents say U.S. concerns are not represented in Canada, where the prospect of new jobs makes locals welcome the projects.

Shell Canada plans a giant refinery along five miles of St. Clair River shoreline now dotted with farms and marinas, across from St. Clair and Marine City. The refinery would process up to 250,000 barrels a day of heavy crude oil from rich tar sands in Alberta, making fuel for the Canadian market.

The new refinery would be more than twice the size of the Marathon refinery in southwest Detroit, which is seeking state permits to expand by 15% to 115,000 barrels per day.

Ontario nuclear officials are making plans to dig 2,150 feet underground to bury low- and medium-level radioactive waste from 20 nuclear plants for hundreds of years. The site is half a mile from Lake Huron, across the lake from Michigan's Thumb.

Michigan's Free Fishing Weekends are two special days when all fishing license fees will be waived for residents and outstate visitors alike on both inland and Great Lakes waters. All fishing regulations will still apply.

Free Fishing Weekend events are sponsored by many communities, businesses, and conservation and fishing clubs. Click here, for a list of Michigan Free Fishing Weekend events.

National Boating and Fishing Week is June 1-8, 2008. Look on the "Take Me Fishing" website at www.takemefishing.org for additional activities not only in Michigan, but other states as well.

Thursday, May 15, 2008
Gary Heinlein / Detroit News Lansing Bureau

LANSING -- Without a single dissenting vote, the state Senate and House voted Wednesday to include Michigan in a historic international compact designed to reserve all of the water in the Great Lakes for the eight states and two Canadian provinces surrounding them.

That doesn't quite cement Michigan's participation in the Great Lakes agreement, however, because the compact is linked to a series of additional House and Senate bills to regulate water usage within the state. There's still disagreement over House and Senate versions of those proposed rules.

"We're taking the first important step forward and we'll continue to negotiate the items of disagreement," said Rep. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, the House point-person on the proposed water rules. "Being able to move the process forward proves that we're serious about this and able to get it done. If nothing else, it signals to the folks who are heavily invested in this that the time to come together and get an agreement is now."

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/METRO/805150385

Detroit FREE PRESS EDITORIAL

After 20 years of coping with zebra mussels, no comprehensive strategy is yet in place to deter the ongoing threat to the Great Lakes
MAY 11, 2008


That may be the truest -- and cruelest -- elegy delivered as the Great Lakes mark the 20th anniversary of the discovery of zebra mussels on June 1, 1988, in Lake St. Clair. It comes from Carol Stepien, a University of Toledo researcher who studies gobies -- another notorious invader -- and who has found at least 18 more goby varieties in Europe that would probably love to call the Great Lakes home.

Freshwater species that originated in tributaries around the Black and Caspian Seas seem to adore the Great Lakes, and various Eurasian species had been showing up since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened to foreign ships in 1959. But most were microscopic plants and animals.

Zebra mussels showed how readily a bigger invader could not just survive, but thrive, threatening to wipe out some native species and alter the food web so drastically that even big lake fish no longer had enough food. It was not the first, it may not even be the worst, but it surely is the poster child for a problem that no one has yet had the will to address.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200805110300/OPINION01/805110527

President George W. Bush has threatened to veto a House-passed bill that would make saltwater ships install systems that kill all living organisms in their tanks before dumping ballast in U.S. waters, including the Great Lakes.

There's no question this administration has one of the worst environmental records in history, drawing fire from conservative hunting and fishing groups as well as the usual ecological lefties, and that the bill the president threatens to veto is no more than a step in the right direction.

Yet anyone who fishes or goes boating in Michigan should contact both of our senators and tell them that the Senate needs to adopt the House bill quickly and send it to the White House with a veto-proof majority, because if nothing else, it's a start...

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/SPORTS10/805040648

The DNR is seeking input on two fishing issues: Increase in Lines Allowed for Fishing and Salmon Daily Bag Limits. The DNR is committed to providing consistent opportunity for anglers and continuing its efforts to simplify regulations. Neither proposal will have any negative biological impact on the state's fishery resources. They address social issues and perspectives on ways anglers may prefer to enjoy their fishing activities.
Use this link to read the press releases, Frequently Asked Questions and submit your comment.

Click here for the Proposal to Review the Daily Bag Limit for Salmon:



http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/SalmonDailyBagLimitFAQ_232622_7.pdf

The new regulations are now in effect starting April 1, 2008.

2008 Fishing Guide 2008 Trout and Salmon Guide

Each spring, volunteers statewide take to the field to listen for the calling of frogs and toads. While the chirps and croaks are a true harbinger of spring, the data the volunteers collect help us determine the status of these declining species. Click on the link above, or go to http://www.michigan.gov/frogsurvey.

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153--189002--,00.html

There was a time . . . when the children playing outside, climbing trees, wading in ponds and creeks and hiding in tall grass fields was a common occurrence. They left their homes in the morning returned for a quick lunch, often eaten outdoors, and then returned to the woods, fields and ponds until evening voices called them to supper. In those special places they encountered insects, birds, mammals. They made bouquets of wildflowers, built forts and even got dirt under their finger nails.

There was a time . . . when children knew their home range well. They created special names "The crooked tree", "Three pines", and the "Cow field" and all the kids in the neighborhood could direct you to these places not with street names, but by a variety of natural markers. They drew maps of secret rendezvous, adventures, and hidden treasure identifying the creeks, trees and hills along the way.

There was a time . . . not long ago!

Today . . . children spend less than 30 minutes a week in unstructured outdoor play. The total range for children playing and wandering outdoors is one-ninth of what is was for current adults. Much of this reduction is due to competition from electronic media, structured sports and activities and the concerns of parents letting kids roam free unsupervised. Ask a child to draw a map of their area and most would be able to identify few natural landmarks beyond their backyard. "It is clear that unstructured outdoor and nature play today is becoming less and less relevant to children", says Raymond Rustem with the Department of Natural Resource's Outreach and Education Unit.

The Department is encouraging kids, educators, parents, guardians and mentors to help mend the child-nature connection. We hope you find the information on these pages and additional web links useful.

Governor's Proclamation: Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, proclaims April 22 - 27, 2008 as "No Child Left Inside" days.

Calendar of Events: Here's a list of activities in Michigan State Parks and Visitor centers across Michigan.

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10369_45551---,00.html

From: Dan Keifer

Hello, Metro West members.

The status of the proposed water use legislation is that it is currently being debated in Lansing. Your legislators need to hear from steelhead/salmon fishermen and cottage owners right now.

This weekend and next week is VERY IMPORTANT timing to send your comments to your legislators. Indications are that the legislature will try to wrap up the deliberations and try to arrive at a consensus on the legislation in the next two weeks.

If you want steelhead and salmon out in the Great Lakes, it's time to speak up for the rivers and streams where they grow up as juveniles and return to spawn.

As you may know, the House and the Senate bills are very different in how they would implement the new set of rules and regulations over groundwater withdrawals in the state. The Senate version is very unfriendly to rivers and streams, and that includes the river stretches that support the spring and fall spawning runs of steelhead & salmon. Missing from these deliberations is the voice for "Water in its Place." That is, the importance of Michigan's water to stay where it is now...in its streams, lakes, and wetlands...for the multi-billion dollars of recreation, tourism and property values that make Michigan the unique state that it is.

The big water user pushing for the excessive limits of water use is the Farm Bureau. No, agricultural irrigation water does not all trickle back down to the aquifers. A significant amount of that water is taken up by crops. Whether it's in a pound of cherries, a sack of potatoes, or a gallon of ethanol, increased agricultural uses can mean lots of water leaving the state in finished agricultural products.

The critical period where groundwater withdrawals can most impact salmon/trout populations is in the warm, low flow summer months. The Senate version of this legislation would allow up to 25% of summer flows to be withdrawn...without any permitting process or any public input...and acknowledges that this would reduce trout populations. Making matters worse, this is mean monthly flow...meaning no restrictions on what might happen on any given day or days during the month. All current users/usages would be grandfathered...including all the lake-level control structures that affect streamflows in the Muskegon, the Platte, the Huron, the Clinton, and many more.

The "Groundwater Assessment Tool" is a great start at modern-day water management in Michigan. But, it's unproven science, and it is incomplete. It is based on an inventory of 11,000 stream segment types in the state. Yet, there are only 230 USGS streamflow gages operating in the state. If the summertime flow of water on a trout stream is signficantly reduced
by withdrawals in years to come, how will you or I or some other angler prove that it is excessive?

Have you fished a Michigan river in July, August, or September? If not, you have no idea how low these streams get...now, before any new rules. It is unimaginable to me that our state would enact water legislation that says it's ok to reduce stream flows by 25% in the summer months. Fish need habitat 100% of the time, not 99% of the time.

Will all of these dire things happen to the state's trout streams? We don't know. What we do know is that the Senate version of the legislation would provide no means for any member of the public (individuals, groups, property owners) to contest a proposed large-scale groundwater withdrawal. What we do know is that the package of laws being developed now will determine
how groundwater is used in Michigan for decades to come. All the circumstances argue to go slow and cautious as this gets implemented for the first time.

There are just too many unknowns to the consequences of such a far-reaching new set of regulations like this, to be comfortable with being so aggressive right out of the box. A lot of the good trout/salmon rivers will be unaffected...AuSable, Manistee, Pere Marquette. But, others could be really impacted because of where the are in the state and/or their unique
characteristics: The Muskegon and the smaller rivers in SW Michigan come to mind.

Below is my mid-March message on this issue. Its attachment is included on this message as well.

Let me know if you have any questions or need more information on this. If you need help figuring out who your legislators are (both Senate and House are important here), start with www.vote-smart.org and type in your zip code. Or, email me.

All you really have to say is that you are in favor of strong protection for Michigan's salmon/troutstreams, that you support the House version of the proposed legislation, and that you are opposed to the Senate version. Anything additional would just be icing on the cake.

Dan Keifer
Metro West Steelheaders Club
and Clinton River Watershed Council


Click here for the mid-March message

ERIC SHARP
Border protection policy is fishing for more work
March 30, 2008

You may have heard that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will require fishermen to carry passports or other approved identification and check in with immigration upon returning from Canadian waters on the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, even if they don't touch land in Canada.

It's what you'd expect from the government that gave us the recovery plan for Hurricane Katrina: impractical, unenforceable, inconvenient, infuriating and expensive.

But if you're one of tens of thousands of local anglers who would be affected by this latest window dressing to create the illusion of national security, there's hope that sanity will prevail.

Chief Ron Smith of the agency's Detroit office has told his Washington headquarters that the plan is unenforceable and would create a bureaucratic nightmare.

"If we're going to require fishermen to check in every time they run a boat across that invisible border (on the water), we're going to have a problem," said Smith, adding that he hopes to have "clarification" of the requirement next week.

"The water boundary is our weakest link, but we need to make sensible decisions about how we protect it," Smith said. "I've been out on the Detroit River during the walleye season and have seen five, six rafts of boats with more than 100 boats in each raft. They're not anchored, just drifting down the river. How do we track all of them?

"I hope we get a decision (from Washington) by next week, because the walleye season is almost here again."

This mess started a couple of weeks ago when border patrol officials in Cleveland told local charter captains that if they entered Canadian waters on Lake Erie, they would have to file the same kind of paperwork required of large commercial ships transiting the lakes.

Besides the skipper and crew filling out paperwork and learning new rules before the season, charter captains also would have to fax in daily lists of their customers, including personal information such as citizenship and birthdates.

All passengers would have to carry passports or other approved official identification, and everyone aboard would have to check in with immigration upon returning to Ohio (after the skipper calls the border patrol at least an hour before returning to port).

It's the kind of goofy rules you'd expect from cubicle denizens who know little about the situation for which they are making the rules, bureaucrats who probably have never seen a fishing boat, never mind gone fishing.

Needless to say, it has not made the Ohio charter captains happy, or people on other parts of the Great Lakes who routinely pass through Canadian waters and have heard about the plan.

Meanwhile, Smith has been meeting Detroit-area boating groups and telling them that if they don't tie up to the Canadian shore, or land in Canada, they don't have to check in upon returning to the United States. He said that technically, the boaters should check in if they anchored in Canadian waters, but even that regulation hasn't been enforced because it doesn't make a lot of sense if the boaters anchor in the middle of a lake or river.

Smith is right about creating a bureaucratic nightmare. The border patrol simply doesn't have the boats and agents it would take to make this law effective.

If anglers want to see these rules repealed, I suspect the easiest way would be to follow them. How many hundreds of calls a day is the border patrol equipped to handle?

After all, what good is this law going to serve? If a group of anglers merely leaves the United States, motors into Canadian waters and then comes back, what does checking in do to make us safer? And if the boaters are terrorists or people smugglers who make an illegal landing in Canada, do you think they will check in upon returning?

Unless the border patrol is prepared to track the movements of a significant percentage of the boats on our waters, this latest plan is simply another government boondoggle.

There's hope: Rebecca Humphries, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, has asked the Natural Resources Commission to rescind a rule that bans the shooting of all-white deer.

Contact ERIC SHARP at 313-222-2511 or esharp@freepress.com.