We hope you enjoy the Fishing News. We have kept some of the more interesting and popular Fishing News stories from the past year for you to read.
Salmon And Trout Populations Threatened In U.K.
Canadian Angling.com (July 21, 2009) Research by Bournemouth University and published in the International Journal of Parasitology show that UK Salmon and brown trout are threatened by a deadly parasite.
Dr Rodolphe Gozlan and his fellow researchers believe the disease is a parasite first identified in the UK in 2005; Sphaerothecum destruens
Sphaerothecum destruens (The Rosette agent) is a parasite of fish. It was first discovered in the USA in association with invasive species including topmouth gudgeon but was found to be the causative agent of a disease in the UK affecting salmonid species such as Atlantic salmon and brown trout. It is thought to pose more of a risk in Europe than in the USA as native species there are more susceptible to the parasite.
The disease causes high rates of morbidity and mortality in a number of different salmonid species and can also infect other UK freshwater fish such as bream, carp and roach.[3] The genus Sphaerothecum is closely related to the genera Dermocystidium and Rhinosporidium.[2] Dr Gozlan and his colleagues from the University of California-Davis, State University of New York, the UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Cardiff University have found the first record of the new infective parasite rosette agent outside North America.
“Unlike in the US, the occurrence of this agent in invasive fish presents a major risk of spread from wild invasive populations to sympatric populations of susceptible native fish,” said Dr Gozlan, an Associate Professor in Conservation Ecology within BU’s School of Conservation Sciences. “As such it represents a risk for fisheries and commercial aquaculture, as movement of fish for stocking purposes is common practice.”
Scientists at Bournemouth University have found 26 populations of topmouth gudgeon across England and Wales in rivers, enclosed lakes and sites connected to the river network. Areas of risk include the following systems: Kent, Yorkshire Ouse, Trent, Thames, Medway, Itchen, Test and Severn.
“The new parasite has also been shown to affect other UK freshwater fish such as bream, carp and roach so there is an urgent need to develop more sensitive detection tools of the rosette agent if responsible authorities want a chance to control its spread and limit future outbreaks,” concluded Dr. Gozlan.
More research is required to detmine the severity of the risk to UK and European aquatic species according to Dr Gozlan. They have already observed the rapid demise of the sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus) in parts of Europe in the last forty years following the spread of a healthy carrier – the Asian topmouth gudgeon – the most invasive fish species in Europe. As a result, the sunbleak species is now on the European list of threatened freshwater fishes.
Swine Flu: We Need Research on Animal Pathogens!
Canadian Angling.com (Apr. 28, 2009) — We all have probably heard about the outbreak of Swine Flu that started in Mexico and watched as it has started to spread across North America. After watching the unsettling stories on CNN, reading the stories in the New York Times and the Toronto Sun, however we must remain calm and look at the big picture, according to Dr. X. J. Meng, a virologist who is on faculty in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech.
Dr. X.J.Meng, is one of the world’s leading experts on swine viruses, noted that the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and the World Health Organization in Geneva have done extensive work on creating protocols to deal with a global pandemic. There have been stockpiles of pharmaceuticals created, plans for outbreak controls (as seen in Mexico City and New York) and risk communication plans created to reduce transmission patterns and contain the outbreak. We saw some of these controls in place during the Sars outbreak in Toronto a few years back. These controls have been updated and improved since then.
“Mortality from flu is generally not considered very high considering the high number of people who are being infected every year,” said Meng, but he believes that it could spread quickly because it is a unique virus that can spread from human to human. “But it does look like one of those bugs that has the potential of leading to a pandemic.”
“We have much to learn about this specific virus,” said Meng, who has a medical doctorate and a Ph.D virologist who frequently works with the National Institutes of Health and other organizations on infectious disease research and containment programs. “But then again, we have much to learn about many other zoonotic disease viruses.”
From SARS to Bird Flu, most of the new diseases come from pathogens often associated with animals, according to Meng; He is among a growing group of scientists trying to convince the federal government to invest more money in studying animal pathogens as part of an overall effort to protect humans from disease. Meng noted that only $32 million of the $88 billion U.S. Department of Agriculture 2007 budget was allocated for farm animal disease research.
“If we can understand more about these viruses, their transmission behaviour, and the mechanism of cross-species infection among animal and human populations, then we can better prepare ourselves for protecting human populations,” said Meng, who recently participated in a National Institutes of Health sponsored expert workshop entitled “Cross Species Infection Workshop” in Washington D.C. that summarized the dangers and called for the need to study the animal viruses in animals such as pigs before they jump species and infect humans.
“It will likely be several days before the virus is fully characterized in the laboratory,” he said. “Once that work is finished, we’ll know a lot more about how to proceed with the management of this situation.”
Meng noted that one of the major factors that might minimize the scope of the outbreak and the spread of the virus could be related to the timing of this outbreak. Influenza viruses can be more efficiently transmitted in cold winter conditions that facilitate the survival of the virus, Meng said, and they typically do not do well in hot summer temperatures. “That is something that may limit the spread of this new virus,” he said.
Pigs are very unique because they have genetic receptors for human, avian and pig viruses and they act like a mixing vessel for new viruses. This strain of swine virus H1N1 does not normally affect humans, with only a few cases reported in humans each year in the United States. It appears that this new strain includes components from human, pig and bird viruses through a process called genetic re-assortment. One of the major concerns is that humans have no antibodies to the new virus since it is unique to humans, and has the potential to become a global pandemic.
Canadian Angling.com (March 25, 2009) Scientists are finding that the amount of ice cover on the Great Lakes has declined consistently by more than 30% since 1970’s. The Great Lakes ecosystem is one of the World’s largest fresh water basins in the world. They have been measuring ice cover that covers 94,000 square miles and two countries. The reduced ice cover increases the evaporation rates and this increases lower lake levels. The scientists associated with NOAA are also worried about how the milder winter will affect the ecosystem. They are also trying to understand a contradiction: the more the lakes drop due to evaporation, this may increase the amount the lakes freeze. This means that global climate change can have different effects on the regional climates.
They have found that although the amount of ice varies from year to year, the total coverage is diminishing. The ice starts forming on the shallowest parts of the lakes in the late fall and early winter. Since the lakes are not frozen, cold northerly winds pick up the moisture from evaporation and condense the moisture, increasing snowfall. The reduced ice cover increases the lake effect snowfall in areas surrounding the Great Lakes.
“The deeper the water, the greater the heat storage from summer, and it freezes later than the shallow areas,” research Ray Assel told The Plain Dealer. “Now, increase the air temperature and the lake takes in more heat and stores it longer, to the point that many of the midlake areas are freezing over less.”
The studies have found that the ice formation near the shore has decreased less than on the deepest parts of the lakes.
Researcher Jia Wang also noted that there will be additional detrimental effects on the ecosystem and recreation on the Great Lakes. The reduced ice cover will effect spawning grounds, destroying fall spawning habitat and eggs, increased erosion of coastal areas due to lack of ice cover, and less recreational opportunities like ice fishing and snowmobiling. The Coast Guard had to rescue 134 fisherman that were stranded on an ice flow on Feb. 7th when a mile wide chunk came off in Lake Erie. The cost was estimated at $245,000.
There may be one small advantage to the reduced ice levels that shipping season may be extended. At he present time, the locks at Sault Ste. Marie now shut down each year in mid-January and reopen in late March, but the reduced depth of the Great Lakes means that the amount of cargo these ships carry will be reduced.
Canadian Angling.com (March 22, 2009) Scientists have found that using detergents to clean up diesel oil spills increases its toxicity to fish and makes it more harmful. The new Queen’s University research questions previously held clean up methods.
“The detergents may be the best way to treat spills in the long term because the dispersed oil is diluted and degraded,” says Biology professor Peter Hodson. “But in the short term, they increase the bioavailability and toxicity of the fuel to rainbow trout by 100-fold.”
They use the detergents as oil dispersants. The detergents decrease the surface tension between oil and water. This allows the floating oil to mix with water as tiny droplets. While this reduces the impact on surface dwelling animals like birds, it introduces the oil into the water column that will damage the fish that live there. Dr. Hodson explains that the detergents increase the hydrocarbons in to the water and that they can easily pass from the water directly into the tissue of the fish. This can be deadly during the early stages of life. “This could seriously impair the health of fish populations, resulting in long-term reductions in economic returns to fisheries,” he says.
They also found out that while detergents (chemical dispersants) are not used in freshwater systems, fast flowing, turbulent rivers can also disperse the oil into the water, causing the same negative effects. “It doesn’t matter if the oil is being dispersed by chemicals or by the current,” says Dr. Hodson. “Now that we know how deadly dispersed oil is, it is important to assess the risks of diesel spills to fish and fisheries in terms of the spill location, and the timing relative to fish spawning and development.”
The study is published in the journal, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry from funding provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and by Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada. Also on the research team are Allison Schein and Jason Scott from Queen’s School of Environmental Studies and environmental consultant Lizzy Mos.
Canadian Angling.com (March 20, 2009) The Government of Ontario is encouraging young people to learn about Ontario’s native fish species, their habitats and conservation measures through the annual Kids’ Fish Art Contest. The Ontario Government announced this year’s winners at the Toronto Sportsman Show. There were 315 young Ontarians entered this year’s Kids’ Fish Art Contest. The contest is open to Ontario students in grades four to 12.
The winners were: Esma Baskurt from Toronto – overall winner of the Kids’ Fish Art Contest, and winner of the grade 10-12 category. As an additional bonus, Baskurt’s drawing of an Atlantic salmon will be featured on the 2009 Young Angler’s Licence.
Ellen Rowe from Toronto – winner of the grade 7-9 category with her drawing of a channel catfish.
Nicholas Muraco from Niagara Falls – winner of the grade 4-6 category with his drawing of an Atlantic salmon. The prizes awarded for each winner includes a $1,000 Registered Education Saving Plan from Northwest Mutual Funds, classroom supplies from Staedtler-Mars and a complete set of fishing gear from Lucky Strike Bait Works.
The overall winner also receives a four-day fishing excursion provided by Red Pine Wilderness Lodge, a day of fishing with Canadian Sportfishing Television Show host Italo Labignan and a Canadian Sportfishing jacket and hat.
Minister of Natural Resources Donna Cansfield, stated that: “It’s important that young people learn to appreciate nature and getting them outdoors and fishing is a great start. The contest is a great way for artistic youth to display their talents while also learning about the province’s fish species and conservation.”
Canadian Angling.com (March 18, 2009). The Ministry of the Environment announced today that studies have found that the fish in Ontario are less contaminated than in previous years. Fish are an important food sources and a healthy part of your diet. Research has supported the cholesterol-lowering benefits of eating fish because of its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. The acids also help the heart in other ways such as reducing blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, fish oil significantly reduces the risk of sudden death. The fish with the highest levels are mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. However, in order to maintain the heart-healthy benefits of fish and not destroy the omega-3 fatty acids, bake or grill it.
The Ministry report states that there is : “a modest improvement for the Great Lakes, with a slight overall decrease in consumption restrictions which results in an increased amount of fish that can be safely consumed. Overall, the consumption restrictions for inland lakes stayed the same.” With regards to inland lakes, the report states that “An evident trend towards lower concentrations of most contaminants such as PCBs,dioxins, mirex, toxaphene and other persistent pesticides. Mercury in the Great Lakes is also generally declining but concentrations from inland lakes appear unchanged in most cases.”
To review the full report
Canadian Angling.com (March 15, 2009) One of the major challenges for the Great Lakes ecosystem is its protection from invasive species. An invasive species is a non-native species that has been introduced to an environment where it is not native, and that has since become a nuisance through rapid spread and increase in numbers, often to the detriment of native species. The US federal government recently announced funding. President Barack Obama signed a bill that will provide nearly $1 million to fund research at a ballast water research center on the shore of Lake Superior.
The cooperative program is managed by the University of Wisconsin-Superior and the Northeast-Midwest Institute and is called the Great Ships Initiative. The Northeast-Midwest Institute is a nonprofit research organization. The Great Ships Initiatives goals are to evaluate systems to kill invasive species hiding in the ballast. The challenge is to create treatment systems that will not damage the freshwater environment. At the present time, some of the treatments include filtration, ultraviolet irradiation, ozone and chemicals.
This is a critical time for Great Lakes States. Both Wisconsin and Minnesota are in the process of setting up their own ballast regulations. They hope to stop overseas ships from discharging ballast water into the Great Lakes. The ballast water can contain invasive species that can damage the fragile Great Lakes water system, the world’s largest freshwater system. The ships use ballast to steady and balance their ships, however this has been blamed for the release of dozens of invasive species since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened to ocean freighters
“This is the only ballast water treatment testing facility operating in the United States, and it is vital that we test ballast water treatment systems to ensure that the waters of the Great Lakes can be protected,” said Minnesota Rep. James Oberstar.
Canadian Angling .com (Mar. 14, 2009) — Aquatic researchers are finding that noise generated from humans are adversely effecting aquatic animals. This is effecting their reproduction, migration and their well-being. In this new study by scientists, they are finding that the effects range from hearing loss to increased stress levels, similar to the effect noise has on humans. It also discusses some recent controlled experimental studies and makes recommendations for areas that would require additional research.
“Human generated sounds in the marine environment may result in only small shifts in behaviour for some animals, but immediate death in others. With the vast increase in production of sound in the marine environment due to human activity such as oil exploration, shipping and construction, the effect of human-generated sounds on the aquatic life becomes a growing issue”, said Dr. Arthur Popper (University of Maryland, USA).
As many of us know, marine animals use sounds to communicate with each other (whales, dolphins, etc) and to receive information about their environment while hunting for food and fleeing predators. The marine animal’s sight only gives it a small area for observation, while its hearing gives it a 360 view of its environment and extends past its visual sight.
Dr. Popper also added that, “The detection of the auditory scene plays a critical role in sound detection – along with the detection of communication signals. Anything in the environment that alters the organism’s ability to detect and analyze its auditory scene has the potential to cause a detrimental impact on the life of the animal as well as the survival of the species”.
Canadian Angling.com (March 12, 2009) Michigan hatcheries will be limiting the number of walleye that they will be introducing into the Great Lakes this year due to Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS). They hope to use this as a defensive program to reduce the spread of the disease into inland waters. This disease has been found in various parts of the Great Lakes and connecting waterways.
The disease is caused by bacteria that first attack vascular walls. The disease then spreads quickly through the circulatory system attacking the heart. The fish appear to be lethargic, dark in color, exophthalmic, and anemic. Hemorrhages are evident in the eyes, skin, and gills and at the bases of the fins. Once a fish contracts the disease, some do survive, but the survivors of infection can become lifelong carriers that shed virus with urine and sex products (eggs and milt).
To help counteract the disease, the fisheries will take eggs from the Muskegon River and Little Bay de Noc, but will not use eggs and milt from the Fisheries staffers will take eggs from Saginaw Bay/Tittabawassee strain this year. The Thompson State Fish Hatchery will be used to incubate and rear the walleye. They will also take steps to protect the steelhead, at the facility, from contacting this disease.
Earth Hour a Major Success
Canadian Angling.com Reports show that this years Earth Hour were a major success around the earth. In Ontario, outside Toronto saw a decrease of 6% in electricity, while there was a 15.1% (a major increase from 8.7% in 2008), as many households and businesses participated for the first time. The landmark CN Tower also turned off their lights. This year there were 88 countries and 4,000 cities that participated.
Around the world, this was a major success also. Swedish electricity recorded a drop of 2.1%, in Vietnam, electricity fell 140,000kWh. The largest participation was in the Philippines where 674 cities participated. For the first time, the UN Headquarter in New York city participated. In Washington, the lights went out at the Capitol dome at 8:30 p.m. ET; the same time the Empire State Building, Central Park and the George Washington Bridge in New York went dark.
In China, illuminations at major buildings including the “Bird’s Nest” Olympic Stadium and the Water Cube were extinguished as 20 cities joined in, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Other landmarks around the world expected to join the World Wildlife Fund-sponsored event were the Egyptian pyramids, Vatican, Niagara Falls, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, the Acropolis in Athens and the Las Vegas casino strip. CNN iReporter Marie Sager of Los Angeles, California, said “A good portion of the city is participating. We’ll see the Capital Records sign go out. A lot of these places haven’t turned out their lights in awhile,” Sager said. The light illuminating the face of the landmark Big Ben clock tower in London, England, went out at 8:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. ET). In Dubai, iReporter Sharad Agarwal turned out the lights and sat down to a candlelit dinner with his family.. “I personally believe in going green and everything that goes with it,” Agarwal told CNN.
Earth Hour is a global event that is organized by the WWF. They ask households and businesses to turn off non-essential power (lights and electrical appliances) for 1 hour on the last Saturday of March, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. The goal is to raise awareness on climate change. It started in 2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sidney Australia turned off non-essential lights. Many cities started following the lead in 2008 and it continues to grow.