Researchers Find Disinfection To Stop VHSV Transmission

Feb 2: A disinfection solution presently used for salmon eggs also prevents transmission of the virus that causes viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHS or VHSV) -- one of the most dangerous viral diseases of fish -- in other hatchery-reared fish eggs, according to new U.S. Geological Survey-led research. VHSV has caused large fish kills in wild fish in the U.S., especially in the Great Lakes region, where thousands of fish have died from the virus over the last few years. The disease causes internal bleeding in fish, and although in the family of viruses that includes rabies, is not harmful to humans. Thus far, the virus has been found in more than 25 species of fish in Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, St. Clair, and Ontario, as well as the Saint Lawrence River and inland lakes in New York, Michigan and Wisconsin. On January 27, 2010, researchers from Cornell University reported that VHSV had been discovered in for the first time in fish from Lake Superior [See WIMS 1/29/10].

Mark Gaikowski, a USGS researcher who led the USGS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service research team indicated that effective disinfection methods are critically important to natural resource agencies that collect eggs from wild fish stocks and private aquaculture because the spread of the virus to a fish hatchery "could be devastating." He said, "If VHS virus is introduced into the aquaculture industry, it could lead to trade restrictions, as well as direct economic losses from the disease."

USGS and USFWS researchers tested the effectiveness of using iodophor disinfection in walleye and northern pike eggs and found that it eliminated active virus from fertilized eggs. Iodophor disinfectant solutions contain iodine formulated for use on fish eggs. The researchers also found that although some of the disinfection treatments reduced hatch, iodophor treatment at 90 minutes after fertilization occurred did not alter egg hatch or fry development. USGS said in a release that experts fear the disease could potentially spread from the Great Lakes into new populations of native fish in the 31 states of the Mississippi River basin. Regulatory agencies in the United States and Canada have already placed restrictions on the movement of fish or fish products that could pose a risk for the spread of VHS virus to regions outside of the known geographic range.

Access a release fro USGS with links to more information on the VHSV (click here).

Fish Virus Spreads To Lake Superior

Jan 27: Researchers from Cornell University are reporting that the fish virus, viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), that was first discovered in the Northeast in 2005 has been found for the first time in fish from Lake Superior. That means that the virus has now been documented in all of the Great Lakes. VHSV, which causes fatal anemia and hemorrhaging in many fish species, poses no threat to humans.

Paul Bowser, professor of aquatic animal medicine at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues recently tested 874 fish from seven sites in Lake Superior in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Fisheries Research Center in Seattle. Fish from Paradise and Skanee in Michigan and St. Louis Bay and Superior Bay in Wisconsin tested positive. Some of the results have been corroborated by other laboratories; others have tests still under way. The researchers indicated that the virus, which has been identified in 28 freshwater fish species in the Great Lakes watershed, has reached epidemic proportions in the Great Lakes.

Bowser, noting that the virus has also been found in a few inland waters as well, including lakes, streams and a family-owned earthen pond said, "People come from all over the eastern United States to fish the Great Lakes. The economy of many of these areas ebbs and flows with the season and perceived value of outdoor recreational opportunities. The value of these opportunities is dependent on how successful we are at managing the health of wild fish. On a worldwide basis, VHSV is considered one of the most serious pathogens of fish, because it kills so many fish, is not treatable and infects a broad range of fish species."

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE) and the Wisconsin DNR issued a release which seemed to downplay the Cornell findings and said the "traces" of VHS in fish "would not lead to any immediate regulation changes for anglers or boaters." MDNRE Director Rebecca Humphries said, "We appreciate the efforts of Cornell University to help better understand this disease, but we also want to caution anglers and others who enjoy Lake Superior that this does not mean there has been a widespread outbreak of VHS in those waters. What this study does indicate is that VHS has been observed in four locations in Lake Superior, but it is not everywhere. Based on this limited finding, Michigan is not planning to make any changes in its regulations at this time."

VHSV experts Drs. Gael Kurath and James Winton from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Western Fisheries Research Center provided independent confirmation of the Cornell findings. Winton said, “VHS is one of the most important diseases of finfish. It not only affects the health and well-being of populations of several important native fish species, but it can also impact trade, and, should it spread into the U.S. aquaculture industry, could do substantial damage as happened in Europe and parts of Japan.” USGS indicated that Experts fear the disease could potentially spread from the Great Lakes into new populations of native fish in the 31 states of the Mississippi River basin.

Access an article from Cornell University (click here). Access the release from MI & WI (click here). Access a release from USGS and link to their VHSV website (click here).

RFP: Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Projects

Jan 19: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program is soliciting applications for Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Projects under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, under the Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2010-2002236. NOAA seeks to support projects that will result in on-the-ground restoration of Great Lakes coastal habitat within the Great Lakes basin and a number of priority consideration for project proposals are listed. NOAA anticipates up to $10 million may be available for Great Lakes coastal habitat restoration and typical awards are expected to range between $1 and $1.5 million. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on February 16, 2010.

Access the announcement, list of priorities, contacts and links to the full announcement (click here)

FY 2010 Request For Fish & Wildlife Project Proposals

Dec 21: The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006 (GLFWRA) Grant Program provides Federal grants on a competitive basis to states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitat in the Great Lakes basin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is requesting project pre-proposals that focus on the restoration of fish and/or wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Supported in part by President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a total of $8 million will be available to support projects this fiscal year. This represents the largest amount appropriated for this effort since the grants program began in 1998. Pre-proposals are due on Friday, January 22, 2010, by 11 PM EST.

Access links to complete information including the RFP, releases and related information (click here).

Groups Call For New Vision Of Seaway On 50 Anniversary

Mar 30: On the 50th anniversary of the St. Lawrence Seaway, conservation groups are highlighting what they are calling "the maritime corridor’s damaging environmental legacy" and are calling for policy and operational changes that address "decades of environmental and economic damage caused by the operation of the Seaway." Additionally, they say the navigation industry must prepare for future challenges associated with the impacts of climate change. The groups include Great Lakes United, Save The River, and National Wildlife Federation.

The St. Lawrence Seaway is a 189-mile (306-kilometer) maritime waterway between Montreal and Lake Ontario and was at one time heralded as an engineering marvel. During construction, portions of the St. Lawrence River were channelized and flooded and seven locks were built. The Seaway opened in 1959 amid forecasts that it would turn Great Lakes cities into world class ports by linking the interior of North America to global trade. The groups say history has proven otherwise and point to the fact that today, less than 7 percent of Great Lakes shipping traffic is international. The Seaway’s busiest season was its first year of operation, while total tonnage peaked in 1977 at 57.7 million tonnes and has been declining since. From 1993-2003 the waterway averaged 35 million tonnes, operating at about its half capacity.

The groups emphasize that the environmental and economic damage associated with ongoing Seaway operations are significant. Since 1959, they say international shipping has been the primary source of new non-native aquatic invasive species, such as the zebra and quagga mussels in the Great Lakes. The University of Notre Dame estimates that such species cost citizens, businesses and cities in the eight Great Lakes states alone at least $200 million per year in damages to the commercial and recreational fisheries, wildlife watching tourism, and through increased water infrastructure costs.

The groups contend that "if the Seaway wants to remain viable for another 50 years, it must ensure that the influx of invasive species is stopped, that it aggressively plans to adapt to lower water levels in ways that will not damage the Great Lakes and St. River, and in turn becomes part of restoring the Great Lakes by charting a new, truly sustainable course for future operations. Failure to do so will put the livelihoods of the people and species that rely on these waters, as well as the industry itself, at stake."

Access a release from the groups with links to additional background material (click here).

$593,089 For Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Restoration

Feb 25: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced today $593,089 in federal funding for fish and wildlife restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin. The projects will be matched by $278,810 in partner contributions, and will focus on the rehabilitation of sustainable populations of native fish and wildlife and their habitats. The grants are funded under the authority of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which provides assistance to states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, and restoration and management of native fish and wildlife resources and their habitat in the Great Lakes Basin.

Ten projects were selected for funding with 2008 funds. Grant recipients include Ducks Unlimited, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Michigan DNR, Michigan State University, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Superior Watershed Partnership and the University of Illinois. Project proposals are developed by interested entities and sponsored each year by tribes and states in the Great Lakes in response to a request for proposals from the Service. The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Proposal Review Committee, a 25-member body representing states and tribes in the Great Lakes Basin, reviews project proposals and develops recommendations on projects and funding for approval by the Service.

Access a release from FWS (click here). Access more information on grants under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (click here).

NOAA Study Documents Invasives Disruption In Lakes' Food Web

Feb 18: Scientists from NOAA say the quick decline of a tiny shrimp-like species, known scientifically as Diporeia, is related to the aggressive population growth of non-native quagga mussels in the Great Lakes. As invasive mussel numbers increase, food sources for Diporeia and many aquatic species have steadily and unilaterally declined. A recent research study from NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Laboratory published this week in Freshwater Biology documents the recent decline of Diporeia and the explosive growth of quagga mussels in Lake Michigan. Over the past five years quagga mussels have displaced native Diporeia as the dominant bottom dwelling organism, leading to a major disruption in the lake’s food web.

Tom Nalepa, NOAA research biologist said, “Quagga mussels have displaced other more energy-rich food sources and leave fish and other aquatic species with fewer food options. The invasive mussels are low in calories and their shell has no nutritional value. Fish feeding on quagga mussels expend considerable energy crushing and passing the indigestible shell.”

Access a release from NOAA (click here). Access an abstract of the paper and information on obtaining the complete paper (click here).

Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Resources Funding

Dec 10: The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking pre-proposals for conservation projects to restore Great Lakes fish and wildlife resources and their habitats through its Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Grants Program for Fiscal Year 2009. The program provides Federal grants on a competitive basis to states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitat in the Great Lakes basin. The projects are funded under authority of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006. Pre-proposals are due on January 23, 2009.

Access a posted announcement and contact information (click here). Access more information about the program, the RFP and the pre-proposal form (click here).

Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Interim Regs Delayed

Oct 28: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a Federal Register notice [73 FR 63867] to delay the effective date of its interim regulations announced on September 9 [[73 FR 52173-52189, See WIMS 9/9/08] to restrict the interstate movement and importation into the United States of live fish that are susceptible to viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), the highly contagious disease of certain fresh and saltwater fish.

APHIS indicated that the interim rule which was scheduled to become effective on November 10, 2008, will be delayed until January 9, 2009. The delay will provide APHIS with time "to consider all comments and make some adjustments to the interim rule that may be necessary in order to successfully implement it."

In its notice to delay the effective date, APHIS said, "Since publication of the interim rule, we have received comments that address a variety of issues. These issues include the feasibility of the requirement in the interim rule for a visual inspection of regulated fish 72 hours prior to shipment, the provision that Interstate Certificates of Inspection allowing interstate movement of live fish will be valid for 30 days from the date of issuance, and the provision that laboratory testing is valid for 30 days from the date of sample collection for fish held in a water source that is not a secure water source.

"Based on our review of the comments received to date, we consider it advisable to delay the effective date of the interim rule from November 10, 2008, until January 9, 2009, while retaining November 10, 2008, as the close of the comment period for the interim rule and October 9, 2008, as the close of the comment period for the environmental assessment. This additional time will allow APHIS to consider all comments and make some adjustments to the interim rule that may be necessary in order to successfully implement it."

In its original Interim Rule announcement, APHIS indicated that ballast water is a potential pathway for VHS virus; however, APHIS said it "has neither the regulatory authority nor the technical expertise to safely regulate ballast water discharge. Therefore, we do not address ballast water in this interim rule. APHIS will assist the U.S. Coast Guard, which has clear regulatory authority for ballast water, in their development of ballast water discharge standards."

Access the FR announcement (click here). Access the docket for this action to review and submit comments and access documents including the EA and economic assessment (click here). Access a list of species regulated by the order (click here).

Regs To Control Spread Of VHS Warn Of Ballast Water Pathway

Sep 9: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a Federal Register notice [73 FR 52173-52189] establishing interim regulations to restrict the interstate movement and importation into the United States of live fish that are susceptible to viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), a highly contagious disease of certain fresh and saltwater fish. In 2005 and 2006, VHS was detected in freshwater fish in several of the Great Lakes and related tributaries. The disease has been responsible for several large-scale die-offs of wild fish in the Great Lakes region. APHIS said the action is necessary to prevent further introductions into, and dissemination within, the United States of VHS. The Interim Rule is scheduled to become effective November 10, 2008, and comments on the interim rule are due on or before November 10, 2008. Comments on the separate environmental assessment (EA) document are due on or before October 9, 2008.

On October 24, 2006, APHIS issued a Federal Order prohibiting the importation of VHS-susceptible species of live fish from two Canadian provinces (Ontario and Quebec) into the United States and the interstate movement of the same species of live fish from the eight States bordering the Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). At the time the Federal Order was issued, only three States (Michigan, New York, and Ohio) had been affected by VHS within the jurisdictional borders of their States. Following various meetings and consultations, a modified Federal Order was issued which established conditions under which VHS-susceptible species of live fish could be moved from the eight States bordering the Great Lakes.

On May 4, 2007, APHIS modified the Federal Order to allow for the catch-and-release of VHS-susceptible regulated fish in waters that cross State and international boundaries. On November 8, 2007, APHIS modified the Federal Order by revising the list of VHS-susceptible species -- 12 species were removed and 2 added. Currently, there are 28 separate species of fish listed. Finally, on April 2, 2008, APHIS modified the Federal Order to allow VHS-susceptible species of live non-salmonid fish from affected Canadian provinces to be imported into the United States for direct slaughter if accompanied by an APHIS permit.

APHIS indicates that the new interstate movement and importation requirements are discussed in detail in the Interim Rule. It also indicates, ". . . the AHPA authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit or restrict the importation or movement in interstate commerce of any animal, article, or means of conveyance if the Secretary determines that the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the introduction or dissemination of any pest or disease of livestock into or within the United States. Ballast water (i.e., water with its suspended matter taken on board a ship to control trim, list, draught, stability, or stresses of a ship) can be taken onto a ship in its port of origin and discharged into the water body of the ship's destination port, making it a potential pathway for VHS virus. APHIS has neither the regulatory authority nor the technical expertise to safely regulate ballast water discharge. Therefore, we do not address ballast water in this interim rule. APHIS will assist the U.S. Coast Guard, which has clear regulatory authority for ballast water, in their development of ballast water discharge standards."

Access the docket for this action to review and submit comments and access documents including the EA and economic assessment (click here). Access a list of species regulated by the order (click here).

Agencies Conduct 13th Annual “Carp Corral/Goby Roundup”

Jun 10: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and its Federal, state and regional partners, including Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, will resume annual search efforts June 18 and 19, in the Illinois Waterway from the Chicago suburbs to near Havana, IL, for three species of invasive fish, as well as for lethal fish pathogens. During the 13th annual “Carp Corral/Goby Roundup,” biologists will estimate the relative abundance and upstream distribution of bighead carp and silver carp -- two types of Asian carps -- and chart the downstream range of the round goby.

This year the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) will also be working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand an existing monitoring study of Asian carp movements to an upstream portion of the Illinois Waterway. Bighead and silver carp captured here will be implanted with ultrasonic transmitter tags and then released in order to detect the proximity of these fish to the Aquatic Nuisance Species Dispersal Barrier in Romeoville. The USACE will use information from this tagging study to develop a long-term monitoring plan that will evaluate the effectiveness of the electric barrier. Interconnected man-made channels and natural rivers of the Illinois Waterway System in metropolitan Chicago provide a direct link for water-borne movement of non-native aquatic nuisance species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. Together these watersheds encompass parts of 31 states and four Canadian provinces.

Sampling will cover nearly 200 miles, more than half the length of the Illinois Waterway, from Alsip downstream to Havana. Round goby are most abundant and likely to be seen at upstream sample sites like Alsip and Lockport while bighead and leaping silver carp are more common and likely to be encountered at a downstream area like LaSalle-Peru, Morris or Havana. Biologists will also collect tissue samples from captured fish to test for disease pathogens such as the non-native spring viremia of carp virus and the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, which can be lethal to a number of native fish species.

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, is one of the most feared fish diseases in the world, and has made its way into Lake Michigan. The virus was recently found (May 2008) in the southern basin of this lake for the first time where it killed thousands of round goby that later washed up along the Milwaukee shoreline, less than 100 miles from the Illinois Waterway. Biologists are now more concerned than ever before that the VHS virus could spread from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi and Ohio River basins via the Illinois Waterway.

The “Carp Corral/Goby Roundup” surveillance effort is critical in determining whether Asian carp have moved upstream of an electrical barrier near Romeoville, Ill., toward Lake Michigan, and whether round goby have made their way farther downstream toward the Mississippi River. An electrical fish barrier near Romeoville in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal -- designed to prevent and slow the spread of nonindigenous aquatic species -- has been operational since 2002. This experimental prototype consists of a single array of 14 electrodes. One of the electrodes failed soon after installation. The 13 remaining electrodes are still functional but are wearing out due to corrosion.

Construction of a permanent barrier is complete just downstream from the prototype. University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute’s Dr. Phil Moy, co-chair of the Dispersal Barrier Advisory Panel said, “The new barrier has 46 electrodes, has the capability to operate at higher voltage to more effectively repel small fish, and has five- by five-inch steel bar electrodes with a design life of 20 years.” It is hoped that the new barrier will become fully operational later in 2008. Biologists found one bighead carp 15 miles below the electrical barrier in 2007, about 50 miles from Lake Michigan. To date no bighead or silver carp have been collected above the barrier. However, reproducing populations of bighead and silver carp have expanded from lower portions of the Illinois River to as far upstream as the Starved Rock Lock and Dam near Utica.

Access a lengthy release from FWS with further details and links to additional information(click here).

House Passes Ballast Management Legislation: Parties Pleased

Apr 24: By a vote of 395-7, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007. The bill increases the size of the Coast Guard, reorganizes the Service, and enhances the Coast Guard’s dual mission of homeland security and maritime safety. Among many other items, Title V the bill requires ships to begin installing ballast water treatment systems in 2009 to control the introduction of invasive species into U.S. ports and waterways -- a measure particularly important to Great Lakes interests. All ships will be required to have treatment systems installed by 2016. The bill was sponsored by Representative James Oberstar (D-MN), Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

Importantly, the bill apparently strikes a balance between states' rights and shippers concerns and has the support of the American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA) and the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF). Various shipping interests, who have been opposed to individual state legislation such as that in place in Michigan, are supporting the legislation. Wisconsin and Minnesota have been considering similar legislation. GLMTF President Patrick O'Hern said, "This legislation is tough but fair -- this problem is big enough that it needs a tough response." GLMTF represents carriers, maritime unions, longshoremen, shipyards, dredging companies, and terminal operators.

Michigan Lt. Governor John D. Cherry Jr. who also serves as chairman of the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) praised House members for passing a bill. Cherry said, "This bill requires the federal government to accelerate actions that protect our Great Lakes and other waters nationwide. I urge members of the U.S. Senate to join in crafting a solution to stop aquatic invasive species from using ballast water as a pathway to the Great Lakes. As one of the few states to take strong independent action, I hope Congress will agree on a new federal law that Michigan and other states can strongly support."

The National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species which includes the National Wildlife Federation, Union of Concerned Scientists, Great Lakes United, National Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Areas Association, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (HOW), and The Nature Conservancy has endorsed the bill. The Coalition said the bill includes several key provisions which they have advocated, including an enhanced role for U.S. EPA to review and improve discharge standards, the addition of a provision allowing for citizens to petition the government, and the closure of a loophole that could have resulted in long-term delays in implementing onboard treatment. Additionally, they said the bill allows states to retain their ability to complement and strengthen the federal program.

The Coalition said the White House has cited the lack of clarification on how the ballast water title applies to recreational vessels among its concerns. The administration, which has threatened to veto the bill has indicated, however, that its main objection is not in Title V, but particular to Coast Guard requirements to protect liquefied natural gas terminals and vessels. The Union of Concerned Scientists says, “The House has already promised to address the White House’s concerns regarding recreational boaters separately. This strong demonstration of support in the House bodes well for withstanding the threat of a potential veto.”

On September 27, 2007, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) approved somewhat similar legislation in S. 1578, The Ballast Water Management Act of 2007 [See WIMS 10/1/07]. That bill provided states with the authority to develop programs to regulate invasive species from ships so long as the provisions did not conflict with the Federal program. Michigan's Attorney General Mike Cox opposed the provisions of the bill that would limit the ability of Michigan, other states and the EPA to protect the Great Lakes from harmful ballast water discharges. Cox and the Attorneys General of five other Great Lakes States -- Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- sent a joint letter to the Committee urging them not to approve parts of Senate Bill 1578.

Access a release from Representative Oberstar (click here). Access a release from Lt. Governor Cherry (click here). Access legislative details for H.R. 2830 (click here). Access a release from GLMTF (click here). Access a release from the Invasive Species Coalition (click here). Access a separate release from the HOW Coalition (click here). Access a summary of some legislators actions in support of the bill (click here). Access the AGLPA website for additional information (click here).

Lake Superior VHS Emergency Prevention & Response Plan

Mar 17: The four units of the National Park System on Lake Superior (Isle Royale National Park, Apostle Islands and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshores, and Grand Portage National Monument) and the Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa have approved a plan to protect park and tribal fishery resources from viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, (VHS or VHSv) [See WIMS 1/24/08]. VHSv is the deadly fish virus that has been recently detected in lower Great Lakes’ freshwater fish. It has not yet been found in Lake Superior. VHSv can infect a wide range of fish species and has been the cause of large fish kills in other parts of the Great Lakes. Great Lakes fish have no exposure history to VHSv and, therefore, are especially susceptible to the disease. In fact, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, there has not been a virus in the past that has affected so many fish species from so many fish families in the Great Lakes. VHSv does not pose a threat to human health.

The plan -- Emergency Prevention and Response Plan for Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia -- is focused on (1) preventing contamination of the waters of the four units of the National Park System located in the Lake Superior basin and the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, (2) detecting the introduction of VHSv and (3) responding to VHSv detection and outbreaks. The plan will assist park and tribal managers, staff and cooperators in assessing the risk of VHSv introduction and, subsequently, planning and implementing the appropriate levels of prevention and monitoring actions for their area based upon that risk. The plan also provides a framework for response. Implementation of this plan will require close coordination with tribes; federal, state and provincial agencies and other organizations as they implement their own plans around the basin. The plan includes an analysis of the risks posed by the various pathways, or vectors, for transmission of the virus; a listing of known measures to prevent or contain the virus; an overall plan for the prevention of or response to the virus in the four National Park System units and the Grand Portage Indian Reservation and recommendations for enhancing cooperation with tribes, agencies and other organizations.

Emergency recommendations for the parks and the Grand Portage Band include an outreach campaign; boat decontamination; restrictions on the use of bait; and insuring that agency operations and practices do not spread the virus, including agency-controlled vessel ballast water. All of these actions will be implemented in close coordination and collaboration with the respective tribal and state regulatory agencies. Longer-term, non-emergency recommendations include research; enforcement of laws and regulations; collaborating with the U.S. Coast Guard and the states and commenting on the development of their ballast water regulations; engaging with other stakeholders on aquatic invasive species prevention measures and the harmonization of regulations amongst agencies; conducting pre-infection fisheries assessments; and working with other stakeholders to conduct a detailed risk assessment.

Access a release from NPS Midwest Regional Office (click here). Access an overview of the Plan on the NPS Apostle Islands National Lakeshore website (click here). Access the complete 149-page Plan (click here).

Great Lakes Fish And Wildlife Restoration Grants

Feb 15: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is seeking pre-proposals for projects to restore Great Lakes fish and wildlife resources through its Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Grants Program. The program provides Federal grants on a competitive basis to states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes basin. Projects are funded under authority of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006.

Since 1998, 72 restoration projects totaling $6.6 million, including $3.9 million in Federal funds, have been implemented. FWS contributes up to 75 percent of the cost of the projects, with matching funds and expertise coming from partner organizations. To date, more than 60 organizations have participated in projects funded under the act. States, Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments and Native American treaty organizations within the Great Lakes basin are eligible to apply for the funding. Non-government and conservation organizations may also receive funding, if sponsored by an organization listed above; however, sponsorship is not required at the pre-proposal stage. Applicants must submit their pre-proposals to FWS by March 28, 2008.

Access a release from FWS (click here). Access a request for proposals, instructions for submitting pre-proposals and complete background information (click here).