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VHS Infection in Ontario Waters

Today (29 March 2007) Muskies Canada received documentation from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources regarding the current status of the VHS infection in Ontario waters. In addition, further information was provided with respect to wild spawn egg collection and its impact upon the Lake Simcoe Muskie Restoration Project. The following excerpts are provided for your information:

Definition of positive waters - VHS positive waters are now defined as the waters of Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron (including Georgian Bay), their connecting waterways and adjacent tributaries up to the first impassable barrier for all fish species. Where fish are manually transferred over barriers or pass through a fishway, that barrier will not be considered to be impassable. Low head lamprey weirs or dams that do not normally stop salmonid passage also are not considered impassable. Waters associated with the Rideau Lakes/Trent Severn waterways are considered to be VHS free at the current time.

MNR is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to undertake a surveillance program for 2007 to provide better information on the current distribution of VHS.

Wild Spawn Collections: Muskellunge - Fish culture staff are currently working with district staff and two partners including Sir Sandford Fleming College to develop a process for muskellunge egg collections, VHS-disinfection, culture using appropriate bio-secure facilities and fish health testing of fish for Lake Simcoe and a Great Lakes rehabilitation request. Details on this process will be provided separately as they develop, to appropriate individuals involved with the project.

Aquaculture operations - Any eggs, or fish cultured from eggs, collected from VHS positive waters this spring and henceforth for which the proponent cannot certify or demonstrate that their eggs, fish or facility water supply are VHS free will be restricted to stocking into VHS positive waters only. This could include demonstrating their eggs were properly disinfected and their water supply is outside of VHS positive waters, or that fish health testing has indicated the fish are VHS free.

Use of live feeds (i.e., sucker fry, minnows or other wild-origin fish species) for feeding any fish at rearing facilities must also comply with these spawn collection and aquaculture operations guidelines. Use of such live feed is generally not recommended as it poses a fish health risk to culture operations. If live feed is used it must come from VHS-free water sources. Live feeds taken from VHS-positive waters will result in a VHS-positive designation for the rearing facility and all fish produced at that facility, in which case the facility must be located in the VHS-positive zone and all its fish must either be stocked only in positive waters or killed for processing before leaving the rearing site.