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Outdoors: Anglers must be aware of new rules in place to stop VHS

Tim Eisele
Special to The Capital Times  —  10/31/2007 7:12 am

Fishermen need to make some changes beginning Friday.

The reason is because rules that were put in place to help stop the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia on some Wisconsin waters earlier this year have been expanded to all waters of the state. The change is expected to take effect Friday.

What does it mean?

Bill Horns, great lakes fisheries specialist for the Department of Natural Resources, explains that the changes are relatively simple.

"It basically means that fishermen can not take any live fish, including minnows, away from the lake or river after they are fishing," Horns said. "In addition, they must drain all water from their boat and buckets, but that does not apply to drinking water."

For most fishermen this will involve dumping their unused minnows in a trash receptacle, or emptying the minnows into a dry box and taking them home to be used as fertilizer in a garden.

The Natural Resources Board approved the new emergency rule on Oct. 24 and included all waters of the state. The previous rule only covered the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and Lake Winnebago drainages.

One part of the emergency rule that is brand new, is that no person may transport over land into Wisconsin, from out-of-state, a boat, boat trailer, boating equipment or fishing equipment for use in Wisconsin waters unless all of the water has been drained out.

This was added because of concern that fishermen were fishing other states where VHS was present, and then carrying water in their live well or bilge pump system which could bring the virus to Wisconsin waters.

Mike Arrowood, of Fond du Lac representing Walleyes for Tomorrow, told the board that he was chagrined that after there were massive fish kills in Lake Erie in 2005 that the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection did absolutely nothing about. There were no warnings from the state of Ohio to warn fishermen who fished Lake Erie to empty their boats of water before returning to Wisconsin in general and the Lake Winnebago system in particular. He believes private fishing boat traffic between Wisconsin and Lake Erie is a clear and present danger of VHS infestation.

The new emergency rule prohibits fishermen from using dead fish, fish eggs or fish parts for bait, unless they are fishing in Lake Michigan, Green Bay and their tributaries upstream to the first dam, or unless they are fishing in the same water where the bait was collected, or if the bait was preserved by a method that does not require refrigeration or freezing.

For instance, some bait fish could be taken out of Lake Superior and frozen and then brought to use on an inland lake for ice fishing. The problem is that freezing does not kill VHS, and this practice could spread the virus.

Live fish, including minnows, can not be used as bait if purchased outside of Wisconsin -- unless the bait was imported in compliance with DATCP rules or unless it is used "between the tracks" on the Mississippi River.

The rule will continue to allow DNR to issue permits for licensed bait dealers to harvest wild minnows for bait, and requires them to keep records of their harvest and distribution.

This emergency rule will be in effect into next spring. The DNR had asked the board to also adopt a permanent rule but the board tabled that idea. They will meet with representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in early December to ask some questions before deciding on a permanent rule.

The DNR originally wanted to expand the ban on a water-body by water-body basis if and when VHS were found in new waters, but the board thought that would be closing the barn door after the horse got out.

George Meyer, executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, told the board that the Federation strongly supports the statewide application of the proposed regulations on boat cleaning and bait use and possession.

"The regulations should immediately apply statewide ... because by the time that a new infestation is found, the disease could well have been spread to many other new waters," Meyer said. "The Federation has reached out to thousands of anglers over the intervening eight months and has found very little angler opposition to applying these regulations statewide. Most anglers are amazed that it is not being applied statewide."

Tim Eisele
Special to The Capital Times  —  10/31/2007 7:12 am