After a 15-year hiatus, largemouth bass virus has re-emerged in a new northern Lower Peninsula water. This virus has been confirmed as a factor in a fish kill in Cedar Lake in Alcona and Iosco counties, Michigan, with additional lakes in the area being examined. This virus previously affected adult largemouth bass in the early 2000s in southern Michigan lakes.

Largemouth bass virus is one of more than 100 naturally occurring viruses that affect fish and is closely related to viruses found in frogs and other amphibians. Its origin and how it is spread are unknown, but anglers are considered a likely path for transmitting the virus through the movement of live, infected fish from one water to another, or by using contaminated and uncleaned gear or boats in uninfected waters. LMBV is not known to infect humans, and infected fish are safe to eat – as long as the fish is thoroughly cooked.

LMBV usually causes fish kills during periods when fish are most stressed. Potential stressors include very hot weather, intensive recreational fishing, and possibly aquatic weed or other treatments made during hot weather. Anything that can be done to minimize stress on fish will reduce the effects of this virus and subsequent fish deaths. Read more

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a lower-court’s decision that struck down a mandatory phaseout of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – including HFC 143a, which is commonly used by marine manufacturers. NMMA and their members worked to oppose and overturn the HFC rule and applauded the Court for deciding against rehearing the case.

The phasing out of HFCs was enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2015 as part of the Obama administration’s regulatory agenda. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled last year that EPA overstepped its authority under the Clean Air Act’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. The Supreme Court’s decision effectively affirms the District Court’s ruling that SNAP cannot regulate HFCs because the program was designed to address ozone-depleting substances, which HFCs are not. Read more

A legal settlement saves the AuSable river from thousands of pounds of fish waste, and subsequent algae blooms and less dissolved oxygen. It reduces the risk of disease, escapement and invasive species.  Read more about the changing of the guard here…

The Department of Natural Resources will conduct its annual walleye assessment in the west basin of Lake Erie near Monroe, Michigan, beginning Oct. 8 and continuing through Oct. 12.

“This year marks the 40th anniversary of a survey that is the cornerstone of the DNR’s annual efforts to assess the walleye fishery in Lake Erie,” said Todd Wills, DNR Fisheries’ Lake Huron-Lake Erie area research manager. “The data from this survey are essential for the DNR and its partner agencies to estimate walleye abundance throughout the west and central basins of Lake Erie. These estimates help determine the daily possession limits for anglers who fish for walleye in Michigan waters.”

The fall walleye assessment will be completed by DNR fisheries staff aboard the research vessel Channel Cat, which is celebrating its 50th year in service and has a home port at the Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station in Harrison Township. Gill nets are fished near Stoney Point and Luna Pier and are marked with a large, orange staff buoy on each end with a number of small, round floats in between. The 1,300-foot-long nets are suspended in the water column, fished overnight, and hauled aboard the R/V Channel Cat where the catch is sorted, identified and measured. A sample of the dorsal fin spine is taken from captured walleye to determine their age.

The DNR reminds anglers and boaters to avoid navigating in between the staff buoys to prevent entanglement in the nets and to give the R/V Channel Cat room to maneuver while it is actively lifting and setting the gear, which is indicated by displaying a double-cone day shape from a mast on its roof. Read more

Contact: Phil Schneeberger, 906-249-1611, ext. 311

Natural Resources Commission to consider higher brook trout possession limits on some U.P. streams

At next month’s meeting of the Natural Resources Commission in Lansing, Department of Natural Resources fish managers will recommend a small number of Upper Peninsula stream segments for inclusion under a 10-brook trout possession limit. The regulation was put in place earlier this year for 33 U.P. streams, while the current brook trout possession limit for all other inland streams in Michigan is five or fewer. Read more

In case you missed it, “Showcasing the DNR” dived into the topic of “smart ship” technologies with a recent story about the new Marine Autonomy Research Site in Lake Superior. The site, near Michigan Technological University in Houghton and managed by the university, will serve as the world’s first freshwater location for testing unmanned (autonomous) surface and underwater vessels for operation in Great Lakes and U.S. coastal waters.

The Michigan Office of the Great Lakes – an office within the DNR – assisted with development of the testing site, a hub for the development of futuristic, state-of-the-art smart ship technologies.

University researchers envision unmanned surface and underwater vessels being used to augment manned research ships to transport remote-sensing technology, collect sonar and video imagery, deploy under frozen Great Lakes waters to gather winter samples and venture to sites unsafe for humans.

Other testing could involve autonomous underwater vehicles monitoring structures such as pipelines for their integrity, identifying shipwrecks or recovering evidence when working with the Michigan State Police. Read more

Late last month, NMMA – in conjunction with the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) – asked Florida members to add their company’s name to a letter requesting assistance with toxic algae blooms in the state’s waters. Nearly 200 businesses signed the letter, which was sent to several federal and state officials on September 12 – including President Donald Trump, Governor Rick Scott, and Florida’s Congressional Delegation. Read more

Many aquatic invasive species – non-native plants and animals that can disrupt the natural ecosystem, tourism and the economy – are easily spread by boaters and anglers who use their equipment in multiple bodies of water without properly cleaning it.

As part of efforts to manage aquatic invasive species, a habitat enhancement project at Fort Custer Recreation Area in Augusta, Michigan, recently kicked off. The DNR is working with Kieser & Associates, an environmental science and engineering firm in Kalamazoo, on a plan to enhance the recreation area’s habitat by managing aquatic invasive species in its lakes. The project is funded through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment as part of the settlement levied against Enbridge Energy in connection with the July 2010 oil release on Line 6B into the Kalamazoo River.

In addition to aquatic plant surveys, which have found invasive species in all of Fort Custer’s lakes, the three-year project will include several different treatments to control these species. This will help determine the best long-term, cost-effective options for invasive species management in the lakes. The project also involves a public outreach and educational component to help park visitors understand their role in preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species.

You can help by following these simple steps:

• Clean boats, trailers and equipment.
• Drain live wells, bilges and all water from boats.
• Dry boats and equipment.
• Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.

Learn more about preventing the spread of invasive species at michigan.gov/invasives.