Lake Huron and VHS
An aquatic virus that kills fish has made its way to Lake Huron. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said it confirmed the presence of viral hemorrhagic septicema, or VHS, in fish taken from Thunder Bay and from waters off Rogers City and Cheboygan.
VHS had been found only in two of the Great Lakes, Ontario and Erie, and in Lake St. Clair. Officials have predicted the virus eventually would spread across the entire lake system. Infected fish in Lake Huron include whitefish, walleye and Chinook salmon. All are popular sport and commercial species. The U.S. Department of Agriculture banned shipments of 37 species of live fish from the Great Lakes states in a bid to check the spread of VHS.
Responding to complaints that the measure was damaging the region's fishing industry, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service later modified its order. The agency now allows some fish to be taken across state lines with proper documentation. The agency is working with state officials to craft a long-term policy.
January 26, 2007 9:44 AM | Category: Lake Huron