Q&A: VHS Prevention and Testing

• What is being done to locate infected waters and why can't all waters be checked immediately?
• What is being done to prevent the spread of VHS through bait fish from dealers?
• How do I recognize that I am buying bait from a registered licensed bait dealer?
• Who bears the cost of testing for VHS?

What is being done to locate infected waters and why can't all waters be checked immediately?

The DNR is testing suspicious fish from all reported fish kills. Every water is not being checked immediately because the vast majority of waters are not currently at risk of having the virus, based on what the DNR knows about its mode of transport and distribution. A substantial number of inland waters throughout the state have already been tested and the virus has not shown up yet, other than in the Lake Winnebago System. There is also a limitation in terms of when fish can be sampled for testing. The virus typically does not replicate at water temperatures above 60°F, therefore testing conducted in the summer will be inconclusive at best. The testing period is confined to winter and spring.

A long term surveillance plan has been developed to provide information on the presence of VHS in Wisconsin waters. First, the DNR will test fish from any fish kills that are suspected to be caused by VHS. Second, all wild fish used as brood stock (egg sources) for DNR hatcheries are also tested. Finally, the DNR will test waters that are classified as high risk waters. These waters are based on their proximity to the Winnebago system, their size and popularity with boaters and anglers, since VHS is likely transported via boating activities, and waters that have a greater chance of being infected with VHS, based on the observed spread of Zebra Mussels, which are transported by similar modes.

A fish health specialist obtains samples for VHS testing.

What is being done to prevent the spread of VHS through bait fish from dealers?

Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection regulates farm-raised bait fish more stringently than any other state. Any live fish on the APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) list of susceptible species moving out of Great Lakes states must test negative for VHS before they can be moved. All fish and eggs, wild harvested or farm-raised, and entering Wisconsin from states where VHS has been found, must test negative for VHS. If for any reason, they suspect that farm-raised fish have been exposed to VHS, the farm can be quarantined and tested.

The DNR also requires that anyone who harvests and sells minnows from the wild carry a free bait harvest permit and keep records of their bait collection and sale. In addition, all commercially harvested wild minnows are now required to be inspected before they can be used or distributed, affording reassurances that the bait that anglers purchase will not spread the disease. This information will help fisheries officials trace new outbreaks of VHS.

Buy minnows from licensed Wisconsin bait dealers.

How do I recognize that I am buying bait from a registered bait dealer?

It is reasonable for retail bait customers to assume that bait purchased from a Wisconsin licensed bait dealer was imported legally or was wild harvested or produced within Wisconsin. Current DATCP rules require any person who imports fish for use as bait to obtain an import permit. It is responsibility of the bait dealer to assure that all the bait minnows they acquire from out of state for sale as fishing bait are imported legally. The bait dealer is also required by law to keep accurate records of all wholesale purchases and sales of bait, including bait they obtain from out of state. A customer can certainly ask a bait dealer if they have a license and to see it before they decide to purchase bait from them, but there is not a requirement that the bait dealer show or display it to anyone except a warden. In addition, some bait dealers may have copies of Fish Health Certificates if they sell wild harvested bait minnows. They are not required to have copies of these documents, but we have recommended that they ask their suppliers for them.

Who bears the cost of testing for VHS?

The cost of VHS testing, the collection and preparation of samples is paid for with a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS), as well as a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) and fishing license sales. The purchase of radio and TV public service announcements, signs at boat landings, and brochures is paid for by revenues from fishing license sales.

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