U.S. bans 37 fish species from Ontario, Quebec

[CHIMO]

U.S. bans 37 fish species from Ontario, Quebec
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 | 5:48 PM ET
CBC News

The U.S. has banned the import of 37 fish species — including rainbow trout and chinook and coho salmon — from Ontario and Quebec, fearing a disease could decimate stocks in the Great Lakes.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which issued the emergency order on Tuesday, also banned the movement of the fish between eight states that border the Great Lakes because of outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic septicemia.

The department said the disease does not affect humans but is fatal to many popular species of sports fish, including ones that weren't previously thought to be susceptible.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2006/10/25/us-fishban.html

Great Lakes pact obsolete, report says

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A U.S.-Canadian pact to clean up the Great Lakes has run its course after more than three decades and should be scrapped in favour of a more effective, modern strategy, a binational panel said Tuesday.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1972 has inspired progress on some of the ecosystem's biggest threats, such as untreated sewage and industrial toxic discharges, said a report by the International Joint Commission (http://www.ijc.org), which advises both countries about the lakes.

Yet the agreement's success stories are offset by lingering problems such as unfinished cleanup of highly contaminated harbours and rivers, the report said.

The agreement, which hasn't been updated since 1987, is cumbersome and lacks tools for prodding government to take action, the report said. And it overlooks emerging issues such as invasive species, habitat loss, climate change and urban sprawl.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1161726631727&call_pageid=968256289824&col=968342212737

Sure that the coast guard will get those slipping through the water.

[BattyDem]

1. Unless they put an underwater border crossing in Lake Ontario ...

I don't really see how they can prevent the fish from getting into the US. :shrug:
They can ban all the imports they want, but it's not going to change the fact that fish swim. :eyes:

"Hey you ... yeah YOU, rainbow trout ... show me your papers!' :P

[Liberal Veteran]

2. They should get the Minutemen to take over this important mission.

They'll be about as successful as they last thing they did.

[Nevernose]

3. But I thought Man and Fish could live in harmony?

Another Dubya lie!

I told you people -- yes, I'm talking to you, DU -- that the real danger was not from France, but from their bastard children to the north. It starts with happy ducks, and then a desire for cheap health care and low crime rates, and where does it end?

Poison fish, that's where.

[Thor_MN]

5. poisson fish?

:)

[Robbien]

4. The network news stories on this issue are less than worthless

Our local news here in Chicago just say that there is a ban on sale of any fish from the Great Lakes because of the disease.

It doesn't mention anything about why the fish are getting sick nor does it mention anything that is being done to get the fish healthy or mention any efforts to prevent the fish from catching the disease.

It just mentions the ban. Period. End of subject. Next.

I guess it is like most problems reported by the news today. The news just mentions the problem but never talks about possible solutions or causes.

[appleannie1]

6. With the administration now in power

we cannot expect any measures taken to help this problem. Heaven forbid that measures be put in effect to aid the environment over the profits of corporations.

[Deb]

7. link to the USDA News Release-

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/content/2006/10/vhsfish.shtml

Of interest to me was this paragraph-
"In addition to prohibiting the importation of certain species of live fish from Ontario and Quebec, Canada, the interstate movement of these species will also be prohibited from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin."

Thanks for posting!