05-20-2007, 04:24 AM
DNR order to limit fish stocking, bait use
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May 16, 2007 - To prevent the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), other deadly fish pathogens, and invasive species throughout state waterbodies, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Executive Director Rebecca Humphries is expected to make a decision next month on an emergency order proposing tighter controls on things like fish stocking and bait use.
"We have taken the unusual step of trying to deal with all of the potential VHS issues in one order, along with other fish diseases," said Gary Whelan, the DNR Fisheries Division's administrative manager. "We decided to make a more comprehensive approach to get anglers and boaters to be allies in the fight against fish diseases, as well as other invasives."
The order was presented to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) during its Thursday, May 10 meeting, and following further review, Humphries is likely to make a decision after the NRC's next meeting on Thursday, June 7.
If signed, the order would take effect Thursday, June 28.
According to Whelan, the two-part order contains general provisions, as well as individual provisions pertaining to particular fish pathogens.
"The intent of the order is to slow the spread of diseases and contain them as much as we can," he said. "There's only so much the DNR can physically do. We really need to have our anglers and boaters involved as allies. That's what this order is designed to do."
He said the bait industry is also trying to participate in efforts to stop the spread of VHS and other diseases.
The order's general provisions, according to Whelan, serve as best management practices for fishing and boating.
"There's a heavy emphasis on the use of certified disease-free bait," he said. "If an angler obtains certified disease-free bait, it can be used anywhere in the state."
Under the proposed order, anglers would also be required to keep bait receipts for seven days to prove where they purchased their bait and that it's certified as disease-free.
The order would also make it illegal to move live fish from one body of water to another.
"The catch and release provision is pretty clear," Whelan said. "If you catch and release fish, they should go back to the lake where they're from. We want to stop the practice of people just moving fish around from waterbody to waterbody. That's an excellent way to move both pathogens and invasive species."
Bait harvested from a particular waterbody by an angler would also have to be used in the waterbody where it was caught.
If Humphries signs the order, boats' live wells and bilges would also be required to be dumped on site after being pulled out on a waterbody.
Boaters and anglers have been asked before to follow some of what the order would require, but Whelan said the requests have never been enforceable.
"We've had a lot of voluntary efforts, but for things like zebra mussels, our voluntary efforts haven't worked as well as we would like," he said. "Zebra mussels continue to spread around the state. These actions will also help deal with other invasives."
He said people tend to listen to codes more than requests for compliance with voluntary efforts.
"There would be the potential of getting a ticket if someone decides to haul live fish or water from one lake to another," Whelan said.
The order would make penalties for violations similar to those for violation of other fishing laws, like fishing without a license. Penalties could draw tickets and fines.
Whelan and other DNR officials said additional pathogens could continue to show up in state waterbodies — an expectation that prompted the order.
"It's to the point now where we can no longer afford to sit back and wait," he said. "We're going to have to take much more proactive steps to control these pathogens and ultimately invasives."
Under the order, pathogen management would take place through a management area concept.
"In that, there are positive zones where we know a pathogen exists, surveillance zones where it's likely a pathogen will show up in the near future, and pathogen-free zones where we don't expect them to show up in the near future," Whelan said.
The order is also expected to place tighter controls on fish stocking efforts as a means to slow the spread of fish diseases and exotic species.
The proposed fish stocking and movement restrictions would apply to 32 species listed in the order.
According to Whelan, the order requires the list to be published on the DNR's web site, at [url "http://www.mich.gov/dnr"]www.mich.gov/dnr[/url], and that as VHS and other diseases spread, the number of species listed could grow.
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[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Josh%20Jackett&-nothing"]Josh Jackett[/url]
May 16, 2007 - To prevent the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), other deadly fish pathogens, and invasive species throughout state waterbodies, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Executive Director Rebecca Humphries is expected to make a decision next month on an emergency order proposing tighter controls on things like fish stocking and bait use."We have taken the unusual step of trying to deal with all of the potential VHS issues in one order, along with other fish diseases," said Gary Whelan, the DNR Fisheries Division's administrative manager. "We decided to make a more comprehensive approach to get anglers and boaters to be allies in the fight against fish diseases, as well as other invasives."
The order was presented to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) during its Thursday, May 10 meeting, and following further review, Humphries is likely to make a decision after the NRC's next meeting on Thursday, June 7.
If signed, the order would take effect Thursday, June 28.
According to Whelan, the two-part order contains general provisions, as well as individual provisions pertaining to particular fish pathogens.
"The intent of the order is to slow the spread of diseases and contain them as much as we can," he said. "There's only so much the DNR can physically do. We really need to have our anglers and boaters involved as allies. That's what this order is designed to do."
He said the bait industry is also trying to participate in efforts to stop the spread of VHS and other diseases.
The order's general provisions, according to Whelan, serve as best management practices for fishing and boating.
"There's a heavy emphasis on the use of certified disease-free bait," he said. "If an angler obtains certified disease-free bait, it can be used anywhere in the state."
Under the proposed order, anglers would also be required to keep bait receipts for seven days to prove where they purchased their bait and that it's certified as disease-free.
The order would also make it illegal to move live fish from one body of water to another.
"The catch and release provision is pretty clear," Whelan said. "If you catch and release fish, they should go back to the lake where they're from. We want to stop the practice of people just moving fish around from waterbody to waterbody. That's an excellent way to move both pathogens and invasive species."
Bait harvested from a particular waterbody by an angler would also have to be used in the waterbody where it was caught.
If Humphries signs the order, boats' live wells and bilges would also be required to be dumped on site after being pulled out on a waterbody.
Boaters and anglers have been asked before to follow some of what the order would require, but Whelan said the requests have never been enforceable.
"We've had a lot of voluntary efforts, but for things like zebra mussels, our voluntary efforts haven't worked as well as we would like," he said. "Zebra mussels continue to spread around the state. These actions will also help deal with other invasives."
He said people tend to listen to codes more than requests for compliance with voluntary efforts.
"There would be the potential of getting a ticket if someone decides to haul live fish or water from one lake to another," Whelan said.
The order would make penalties for violations similar to those for violation of other fishing laws, like fishing without a license. Penalties could draw tickets and fines.
Whelan and other DNR officials said additional pathogens could continue to show up in state waterbodies — an expectation that prompted the order.
"It's to the point now where we can no longer afford to sit back and wait," he said. "We're going to have to take much more proactive steps to control these pathogens and ultimately invasives."
Under the order, pathogen management would take place through a management area concept.
"In that, there are positive zones where we know a pathogen exists, surveillance zones where it's likely a pathogen will show up in the near future, and pathogen-free zones where we don't expect them to show up in the near future," Whelan said.
The order is also expected to place tighter controls on fish stocking efforts as a means to slow the spread of fish diseases and exotic species.
The proposed fish stocking and movement restrictions would apply to 32 species listed in the order.
According to Whelan, the order requires the list to be published on the DNR's web site, at [url "http://www.mich.gov/dnr"]www.mich.gov/dnr[/url], and that as VHS and other diseases spread, the number of species listed could grow.
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