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VHS making its way across the Great Lakes
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Folks around Milwaukee are concerned about the disease viral hemorrhagic septicemia being found in yellow perch in Lake Michigan. Well, Wisconsin folks, welcome to the club.
VHS, obviously, is making its way around the Great Lakes. Those of us who frequent Lake Erie saw VHS in action in 2006 when it killed a large number of freshwater drum — sheephead — and some yellow perch.
Since then, tests have shown VHS is contained in other species of Lake Erie fish but hasn't repeated the large fish kill of 2006.
"As with any disease, even in humans, the body can contain it but has built up an immunity to it over time," said Ray Petering, head of fish management for the Ohio Division of Wildlife. "When the body is under stress, it is more susceptible to disease if immunity has not been established."
In 2006, VHS hit Lake Erie at a time when drum were spawning, which probably accounted for the stress on that species.
Petering said, over time, species of fish in the Great Lakes will build immunity to VHS and it will have little effect, perhaps except in isolated cases.
Interestingly, the virus has been found not only in yellow perch in Lake Michigan, but was considered responsible for the deaths of a large number of round gobies found near Milwaukee.
There are, of course, worse things than large numbers of dead round gobies — unless you're a round goby.
VHS is responsible for the current federal ban on transporting certain species of fish across state lines in the Great Lakes states.
As with Ohio, Wisconsin natural resource officials are most concerned with VHS spreading to inland lakes, such as the situation at Ohio's Clearfork Reservoir, where the disease has been discovered in muskellunge.
Wisconsin has already banned anglers from moving fish from one body of water to another.
Seminars set
The monthly Sportsmen's Seminar at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, will feature "Indiana Fishing Hot Spots & How to Catch 'Em" with guest speaker Shawn Brewer, a top Indiana bass angler.
On Aug. 5, the topic will be Caesar Creek muskie fishing.
The seminars are free and held at the Greene County Highway Department, 615 Dayton-Xenia Road in Xenia. For information, call (937) 562-7440.
Catch a cat
Sign-up has begun for the 13th Annual Indian Lake Catfish Tournament, which will be held from noon July 31 to noon Aug. 3. The top prize is $2,500. The entry fee is $15. Proceeds go to area youth programs.
For information, visit indianlake.com or call (937) 843-2551.
Nature photos
Brukner Nature Center, off Horseshoe Bend Road near Troy, is featuring an exhibition of nature photography by Doug McLarty of Xenia called "Nature by Design."
The exhibit will open at tonight's Summer Solstice Concert and will run through Sept. 21. For information, including admission prices, call (937) 698-6493.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2409 or jmorris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
