New Rules for canada

[OUTLAW]

I herd a rumor that Canada is trying to pass a law that states it will be ileagal to transport fish over international lines. WOW IF THAT HAPENS THAT WILL BE A HUGE AFECT ON THE EAST SIDE.

Has anyone else herd that?

[BASS FISHERMAN]

ifin them canaians do this to us fishermans we be forced to till thems to keep they garbage ovur thar  juss cannt figuer out why we letts thems brings they garbage heer annaways 

RANGERS BOAT RULE 

[LGMOUTH]

 Its not canada its the good ole usa. As it stands right now as far as I know you cant transport a number of different types of live fish across state lines including bass. I dont know the full details but here is a link to give a little light on the subject.


http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/aqua/pdf/vhs-fed-order_ogc-changes.pdf

[djkimmel]

I'm behind on that too - my VHS virus page. I've talked to our new state MDNR VHS contact and one of the doctors at APHIS and will be submitting written comments to APHIS.

The veterinary science branch of APHIS is the group that issued the federal order making it illegal, punishable by up to 5 years prison and $250,000 in fines to bring a live fish, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, from about 57 species across a state or international border without an inspection certifying the fish are free of VHS.

That's where we stand at the moment. It may or may not change, but some tournament organizations like FLW Outdoors and our TBF are already involved in finding out what we can and can't do, and what we might be able to work out by this season.

VHS has been found, and caused fish kills in Lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and parts of Lake Huron as far north as Rogers City last year.

We need to do everything we can to prevent it from getting into inland lakes - it could be devestating to our fish populations. Hence my new signature.

[smbassman]

The BASS conservation Director Chris Horton just called to inform me
that he made just gotten back from Washington DC and had meetings
with the Dept of Agr. that wrote the new Federal law that currently
makes it illegal to bring Live Canadian fish back into Michigan waters.
The good news is the group that wrote the law is now aware that
the law now effects Tournaments and rec. fisherman.
This not the intent of the law, when it was put in place.
They said that a new version should be written that will ALLOW us
to fish as we have done in the past.
It is Chris believe that this should be in place by the time our season
begins this year.

THANK YOU BASS......

Watch this site for new updates.

Paul Sacks
Mi. BASS Federation Nation President

This is a copy/paste from the Michigan Federation Nation forum dated Feb. 13.

[joshimoto son]

GLB members...

Don't get real excited yet about this whole subject. I've seen a lot of wasted time spent on other boards with a lot of conflicting aguments.

Keep an eye on it, of course, but this should be a "non-issue" by the time the ice melts.

joshimoto son

[djkimmel]

I talked to one of the doctors (veterinary) at APHIS (part of USDA) involved in the federal order and it was intended to stop all live fish movement. I figure he's a pretty good source since he was involved in writing the federal regulation. I'm not discounting what Paul says Christopher Horton passed on - just that what you are told depends on who you talk to on this issue, and how it is passed along.

The issue is to stop moving live fish from infected areas to uninfected areas. Dr. Peter Merrill would not promise me another amendment to the federal order, but acknowledged that they are aware of the angler issue and that they will review all comments and consider reasonable requests even though the original comment period ended a while ago.

I'll be submitting written comments shortly asking for exemption for anglers moving live fish within connected, known infected waters that will not be transported overland to other disconnected water, but released back into already infected water - i.e. St. Clair / Detroit River / Lake Erie.

We have time to see how it all works out.

We also all have to accept that this virus is with us and can do a lot of harm to our fish populations. We'll need to do our part by not transporting live fish from infected areas into noninfected areas - especially no 'private stocking programs' of smallies from the Great Lakes into inland waters, or bait or any other fish.

We also have to accept there may be future compromise in our fishing if VHS spreads and continues to cause fish kills.

The best we can do is stay accurately informed, avoid spreading rumors and disinformation, and do what we can to make a positive impact - no moving live fish from one water to another, and making sure we don't move water from infected areas in our boat into other noninfected areas.

Watch for my VHS web page soon where I'll post any updates from sources we can count on.

[OUTLAW]

I think it would be a good law. I feel we should stop transporting fish from lake to lake, state to state, and country to country.

[Vic Cerabone]

I'll be submitting written comments shortly asking for exemption for anglers moving live fish within connected, known infected waters that will not be transported overland to other disconnected water, but released back into already infected water - i.e. St. Clair / Detroit River / Lake Erie.

I hope you can get us this exemption Dan.  I agree with your point about rumors, etc, but the rules are there in black and white now.  Canada makes up almost 2/3 of the water in LSC, and the Michigan waters of Erie are minuscule.  Tournaments on LSC would be severely impacted, and I really see no point in fishing a tourney on Erie if you cannot run to Canada.  To think that the fish obeying this imaginary line is ridiculous.   I've got to imagine this is an oversite (again, I hope).

I also agree that we need to do everything we can to stop the spread to uninfected waters.

Please let us know what we can do get an exemption enacted (letter writing, etc).

Vic

[Vic Cerabone]

Here's some more info on the new regs from The Ohio Sea Grant College Program:

http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/discuss/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=748.0;id=55

[DDBethke]

Wow!

We have VHS and a Dead zone (inadequate oxygen level) in Erie

Not good...