Whirling Disease Info Session @ U Of C

[fishinhogdaddy]

Lesley Peterson is Trout Unlimited Canadas Alberta biologist, based in Calgary, and a member of the provincial Whirling Disease Committee. Petersons presentation will include a background on whirling disease including the life cycle of the parasite that causes it, the history and distribution of the disease and how it can affect fish. She will also provide an update on the situation in Alberta and what we can all do to prevent the spread of whirling disease and other aquatic invasive species."

Cost: $5 suggested donation at the door

Thursday, March 23rd, 2017 Family Friendly Event

 

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

ES 162, Earth Sciences

844 Campus Place N.W. Calgary

Telephone: 403-678-5593

http://swerveevents.com/events/lesley-peterson-whirling-disease/

[McLeod]

If anyone goes can you ask how long this biologist thinks its been in the province and if some trout are resistant to it ? The opinions in the scientific community vary greatly but draining lakes or removing fish is not the answer.

[bcubed]

no one knows how long it's been in the province. It could have been here from day 1 that they stopped testing in the early 2000s, or it could have shown up in the last year or so. There is no simple way to go back to figure it out. Based off that, we don't know if they're resistant, or we just haven't been hit with a big population loss yet.

 

Lots of variables, will be an interesting next five years.

[McLeod]

Its been around for a long time... and yes some trout are resistant to it... good studies in Montana..The point is how to deal with it now.

[bcubed]

Its been around for a long time... and yes some trout are resistant to it... good studies in Montana..The point is how to deal with it now.

For sure some are resistant, but as mentioned, we don't know where we are in this 'infection'. We could very well be at the very start of it, and we may see population-sized issues moving forward, or we may well have resistant strands of rainbows and we're 15 years in. Since we really dont know when it showed up, we really dont know what its going to do (or if it has done something in the past). We also have such poor fisheries-population knowledge, that it would be hard to draw a firm conclusion anyway that we're seeing an issue, without us directly observing a fish kill

 

At the end of the day, managing the spread is going to be an important issue. They haven't found any trace of it in the Red Deer and Oldman drainages (so far..), but for how long?

[BurningChrome]

At the end of the day, managing the spread is going to be an important issue.

 

Yup, we need to stop worrying about how long it has been here and concentrate on limiting/slowing the spread by anglers and other recreational river users. Everyone say it with me - clean, drain, dry.

[jpinkster]

Its been around for a long time... and yes some trout are resistant to it... good studies in Montana..The point is how to deal with it now.

I agree with the final sentence, but I really worry about the first point. We need to be careful about making definitive statements that are impossible to verify (unless of course you are the POTUS). We don't know if it's been around for a long time, and we likely won't ever find out.

[Dangus]

I agree with the final sentence, but I really worry about the first point. We need to be careful about making definitive statements that are impossible to verify (unless of course you are the POTUS). We don't know if it's been around for a long time, and we likely won't ever find out.

If the south is any indication, You will know if it's been here for a long time because things won't change from

How you know it now. You will know it's new if *hit hits the fan over the next 5-10 years.

[jpinkster]

If the south is any indication, You will know if it's been here for a long time because things won't change from

How you know it now. You will know it's new if *hit hits the fan over the next 5-10 years.

That's not the case at all. We sure seem to have lots and lots of recreational biologists that have this entire thing figured out.

Habitat here is very different from habitat in the south. There are any number of factors that could make things worse or better here : we may have a smaller concentration of tubefix worms, we may have a more resistant strain of trout - who knows? There are simply too many factors for us to know for sure.

[fishteck]

How can anyone expect to see the Oldman drainage devoid of Whirling Disease! The Missouri has Whiling Disease, The Bow has Whirling Disease. There is free movement of anglers, paddlers, OHV's, hikers and migratory birds between all these water bodies. Whirling Disease must be there unless the gods and not the recreational users are in control of our destiny!

[McLeod]

I agree with the final sentence, but I really worry about the first point. We need to be careful about making definitive statements that are impossible to verify (unless of course you are the POTUS). We don't know if it's been around for a long time, and we likely won't ever find out.

I will just say that in talking with others in the know and for the fact that is so widely spread throughout the Bow that tells you it has been around a long time. My guess would be back to the Arctic char leak into the Bow. It is good to hear that there will extensive work done on other watersheds this summer to continue to trace how many other areas have been infected.

[bcubed]

How can anyone expect to see the Oldman drainage devoid of Whirling Disease! The Missouri has Whiling Disease, The Bow has Whirling Disease. There is free movement of anglers, paddlers, OHV's, hikers and migratory birds between all these water bodies. Whirling Disease must be there unless the gods and not the recreational users are in control of our destiny!

I didn't say I don't expect it there, but I also am not running the tests. I'll wait for positive results before committing to saying it's there or not..

[Dangus]

That's not the case at all. We sure seem to have lots and lots of recreational biologists that have this entire thing figured out.

Habitat here is very different from habitat in the south. There are any number of factors that could make things worse or better here : we may have a smaller concentration of tubefix worms, we may have a more resistant strain of trout - who knows? There are simply too many factors for us to know for sure.

Surely you see the irony in your cocky recreational biologist comment. If you're not busy drawing conclusions on spawning browns ability to handle angling pressure you're fretting over natural gas "spills"! 😉

I'm just teasing, I know what you mean. Still, One can make some loose inferences based on how the river responds. But as stated 15x so far, it doesn't accomplish much other than to offer some hope.

[trucha]

Lesley Peterson is Trout Unlimited Canadas Alberta biologist, based in Calgary, and a member of the provincial Whirling Disease Committee. Petersons presentation will include a background on whirling disease including the life cycle of the parasite that causes it, the history and distribution of the disease and how it can affect fish. She will also provide an update on the situation in Alberta and what we can all do to prevent the spread of whirling disease and other aquatic invasive species."

Cost: $5 suggested donation at the door

Thursday, March 23rd, 2017 Family Friendly Event

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

ES 162, Earth Sciences

844 Campus Place N.W. Calgary

Telephone: 403-678-5593

http://swerveevents.com/events/lesley-peterson-whirling-disease/

 

 

Did anyone go? Any revelations? I just saw this thread now; would have liked to have gone.