news: conservation news
Whirling Disease Enters Alberta
B
by Wes David
y now, anglers across Canada
have heard that for the first time
ever, Whirling disease as been
confirmed in Alberta. On August
23 rd , 2016, the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA) confirmed Whirling disease
in arguably one of the greatest trout fishing
countries and provinces in the world when
a fish from Johnson Lake, Alberta, located
inside the Banff National Park was tested
and confirmed positive for Whirling disease.
Whirling disease has been observed
and monitored in the United States since
the early 1950s and in New Zealand, since
the 1970s. In Europe and Asia, where it’s
believed to have originated, there is no
recorded date.
According to experts, Whirling disease
greatly affects fry, fingerlings, and juvenile
in (salmonid) fish species such as salmon
and trout. The disease is caused by a
microscopic parasite called (Myxobolus
Cerebralis). The disease causes skeletal
deformation and similar to Chronic Wasting
disease in affected deer and elk, Whirling
disease causes neurological deterioration.
As the disease progresses in an affected fish,
instead of the fish swimming in a natural
swimming motion, affected fish swim in
an awkward corkscrew motion thus, the
name Whirling Disease. Affected fish will
eventually have trouble feeding and may
even starve to death. Affected fish are also
extremely vulnerable to predator fish and
birds of prey. It’s believed that the mortality
rate within fingerlings and juvenile trout
and salmon species affected by the disease
is as high as 90%. Fish that do survive with
the disease from the juvenile stage may
be obviously deformed from the parasites
that live within their skeletal system and
cartilage.
Larger more mature fish are often
more tolerant of the disease and
often don’t show signs of the
disease. They generally
don’t die from the
disease and
live a
Salmonid species, such as this rainbow trout, are highly susceptible to Whirling Disease.
normal
life span.
However,
larger more mature
fish can still be carriers of
the disease and in a worst case
scenario, juvenile fish will never
reach sexual maturity and over time
greatly affecting the fish population within
the water body.
The spores that make up Whirling disease
are extremely hardy. Through a variety
of scientific lab testing of the spores, tests
have proven that the spores can withstand
-20° Celsius temperatures for up to three
months. The microscopic spores are also
durable enough to be consumed through
water and vegetation by waterfowl and pass
through the waterfowl digestive system
alive and be transported to other water
bodies through waterfowl waste. They can
also infect a healthy fish that consumes an
infected fish. The spores can also live in a
dead fish for long periods of time and be
released back into the water body as the
dead fish decays. The spread of these deadly
spores is greatly increased in river and
stream systems as the current moves them
downstream much faster spreading the
spores as the current flows.
The spores can easily be carried in the
river current and infect salmonid fish
species by penetrating their skin. Within
seconds of coming into contact with the
fish, the spores have entered the fish and
begin their deadly life cycle.
While anglers have no control over fish
eating fish or waterfowl spreading the
disease through their digestive systems,
anglers and others using our water bodies
for recreational use can do their part by
cleaning any fishing gear or other gear
that comes in contact with the water. The
parasite (Myxobolus cerebralis) can be
transferred to other water bodies by
humans after coming in contact
with fishing, boating,
paddling, and even
swimming and
waterskiing
Everyone is reminded to clean any gear that comes in contact with the water.
equipment.
Everyone
using
Alberta’s
water bodies, especially
the river systems are being
asked to thoroughly clean, drain,
and dry any gear that comes in contact
with a water before using it in another water
body. That includes waders, boots, pontoon
boats, belly boats, float tubes, and even the
little things such as anglers dip-nets can’t
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