APHIS EXPANDS VHS TESTING REQUIREMENTS

Fish stocking programs will see hefty cost increases.

By: Lynn W. Burry

In late 2006, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services issued interim rules designed to curtail the spread of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) in the Great Lakes Basin (GLB). Nine Great Lakes States and two Canadian Provinces were affected by these rules. VHS is an extremely serious pathogen of fresh and saltwater fish. The rules resulted from a number of fish kills in the lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River linked to the VHS virus. These rules mandated testing and documentation requirements for the interstate transportation and stocking of a number of “live” fish species including Brown Trout. Intrastate transportation and stocking was not affected.

These States and Provinces were caught in the “oh, by the way” rock and hard place. Their input and suggestions were not solicited prior the APHIS ruling. Fortunately for everyone, the Fishery Divisions of the Department of Natural Resources and Board of Animal Health Divisions within the GLB States banded together and were able to work out the sometimes contradictory rules of this unfunded Federal mandate with APHIS and developed an agreement everyone could live with. Although there were some delays, additional costs and documentation involved, most public and private stocking programs survived but less fish were released. This included the annual Brown Trout stocking program managed by the Northeastern Indiana Trout Association in the Pigeon River, Lake Gage and Oliver Lake.

Fast forward to September 9, 2008, and we find ourselves in the all too familiar and similar scenario of experiencing déjà-vu all over again. APHIS issued, again without the benefit of the affected GLB States input, a new and even more restrictive federal mandate requiring additional testing and documentation requirements. Fish sample lot numbers and test frequency requirements have basically doubled under the new rules. Also, there is a new requirement to have an Interstate Certificate of inspection (ICI) certifying the fish were inspected within 72 hours prior to that shipment by an “accredited veterinarian, State, Tribal or Federal aquatic animal authority” verifying the shipment of fish to be free of any clinical signs of disease consistent with VHS. It gets worse, but space limitations preclude me from copying the seven-teen pages from the Federal Register, the four pages of Q&A Factsheet issued by APHIS. Not to mention the myriad of other rumors and documents flying around the internet.

In discussions with a number of private fish hatcheries, fish farm operators and DNR officials, one point quickly becomes clear. The new rules raise far more questions than they answer. The general consensus suggests that if the new rules are implemented as written by APHIS, the cost increase to all public and private fish hatchery and stocking programs would be significant. The new rules do little or nothing to address or prevent the further spread of VHS because the root cause of the disease even being in the Great Lakes is not addressed, i.e. the uncontrolled discharge of bilge or ballast water by the ocean going ships traversing our Great Lakes. Fortunately for everyone, Indiana’s Division of Fisheries and Board of Animal Health continue to work together with the other Great Lakes Basin State and Provincial agencies and industries to resolve this serious issue.

The bottom line is simple. Although VHS poses no known danger to humans, no one denies the seriousness of the virus and the impact it has or could have on the future of the Great Lakes fishery, sporting industry and public or private fish stocking programs. Without some common sense rules and preventions the disease will continue to spread and the industry will collapse under the weight of the unfunded APHIS mandates. While the various agencies work out the kinks of the new mandate, sportsman can help prevent the spread of VHS by disinfecting their boat live wells and equipment after fishing the Great Lakes waters and tributaries much as you do now to prevent the further spread of zebra mussels and other exotics to our inland waters. Get informed and support your state Division of Fisheries. Additional information from both sides of the isle is available on the USDA/APHIS, Michigan DNR and Indiana DNR, and Indiana Board of Animal Health web sites. 

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 About the author: Lynn is the current President of the Northeastern Indiana Trout Association and contributed this article. You can contact Lynn via the Northeastern Indiana Trout Association’s web site at www.indianatrout.com