Whirling Disease Update

[McLeod]

Whirling disease affecting fish confirmed in 6 more locations near Banff National Park
Disease first detected in Johnson Lake on Aug. 23


Whirling disease which affects salmon and trout has been detected in six more locations near Banff National Park.

Deadly whirling disease in fish has spread from Banff to Bow River
Officials have confirmed the deadly whirling disease, which affects fish, has been found at six more locations in waterways near Banff National Park.

Posted to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website on Monday, the six latest locations include:

Spray River upstream from the confluence of the Cascade River and Cascade Creek.
Cascade Creek upstream from the confluence of the Cascade River and Cascade Creek.
Carrot Creek upstream of the confluence of Cascade River and Cascade Creek.
Bow River near Tunnel Mountain.
Lower Cascade River upstream from the confluence of the Bow River and the Cascade River.
Bow River downstream from the confluence of the Bow River and Carrot Creek.
Whirling disease affects trout and salmon and can cause infected fish to swim in a whirling pattern and die prematurely.

It was first detected in Johnson Lake on Aug. 23.

Whirling disease in fish found in Banff lake a 1st in Canada, officials say
Deadly whirling disease in fish has spread from Banff to Bow River
A note on the CFIA website reads "Additional detections of whirling disease from the ongoing sampling and testing do not mean the disease is spreading. Whirling disease may have been present for several years and the ongoing sampling will help determine the extent of the distribution and the most appropriate disease response."

[DougC]

Well, the latest update is out and sounds like really bad news... Anybody know what this facility is? and why wouldn't they name it?

 

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/aquatic-animals/diseases/reportable/whirling-disease/alberta-2016/eng/1473443992952/1473443993551

[BowLurker]

Found this after some digging on the CFIA website...

 

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/aquatic-animals/diseases/reportable/2016/whirling-disease-2016-/eng/1473276924853/1473277495599

 

-M.

[monger]

I wonder if it is Allen's trout farm. Would explain some of the spirally swimming fish in Lake Sundance

[jpinkster]

I wonder if it is Allen's trout farm. Would explain some of the spirally swimming fish in Lake Sundance

It's unlikely that it would, actually. Typically only juvenile fish are impacted by WD. The fish we've all seen behaving erratically are probably dealing with something else.

[monger]

Low/no oxygen in stocking truck was the first explanation. Brain injured fish are not the best fighters.

[Swede]

Did you read that likely been here for several years (adjusts his tin foil hat)

[BurningChrome]

 

Did you read that likely been here for several years (adjusts his tin foil hat)

May have been here for several years.

[jimbow]

Since it's in the Bow does that mean there's no doubt that it's well downstream of BNP at that point? Are any tests going on outside BNP?

[bcubed]

Since it's in the Bow does that mean there's no doubt that it's well downstream of BNP at that point? Are any tests going on outside BNP?

 

Pretty sure testing is ongoing throughout the drainage. A few whitefish from the TU Fish Rescue were taken for testing on Sunday. The word on the street is that the issue is that there are extremely limited laboratories that can do the testing, and the testing procedure takes ~a week.

[alan2]

This location below from the CFIA update makes no sense whatsoever because Carrot Creek runs into Bow well downstream of Lk Minnewanka and Cascade River (which runs into Minnewanka). Cascade river never does run into Carrot Creek or vice versa. The Gov't geniuses should figure out what runs where before updating.

 

Banff National Park – Carrot Creek (upstream from the confluence of the Cascade River and Carrot Creek)

[McLeod]

In 2001 Arctic Char escaped into Lott Creek , a tributary of the Elbow.

[monger]

I hear a Fish farm in Lacombe is positive.

There was Arctic char in Sundance too

[bcubed]

Ya the fish farm came out and said it was them (surprisingly) that tested positive

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/whirling-disease-experts-on-edge-1.3802699

[McLeod]

No doubt is has been around for many years Now what to do it the question ?

[jpinkster]

No doubt is has been around for many years Now what to do it the question ?

The only thing us ordinary folks can do is continue being diligent with cleaning our gear every time we go out. Once WD gets in, it's hard if not impossible to get it out. The bright spot may be that once fish build up an immunity to it...the dramatic impacts don't become as devastating.

 

I'm shocked the hatchery came forward. Sure hope those folks have some other form of income, because their business is going to be shut down for the foreseeable future.

[monger]

So a positive from Lott Creek. Highly probable that Allen trout farm is positive. A number of the residential lakes have been stocked via Allen in the past. I wonder if they are positive as well

[bcubed]

I'm a bit surprised that these hatcheries arent subject to testing on an annual basis (unless they are?). If it's in Lott, i think it's pretty apparent that it probably came from Allen itself. Even the fact that they had that creek on their testing regime (and prioritized it above fish within the Elbow, or Lower Bow) is telling

[fishinhogdaddy]

I have been told that Allen's is tested every year as we stock their trout.

FHD