7805

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7805
• Author: Colorado River Wildlife Council.
• Title: Minutes, Colorado River Fish & Wildlife Council.
• USFW Year: 1988.
• USFW - Doc Type: July 9, 1988.
• Copyright Material: NO

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Having reviewed information presented at the whirling disease conference, the
committee has determined that the status of the disease. should be reevaluated
and reassigned. The committee recommends that whirling disease be included
in the notifiable pathogen category of the fish disease control policy. The
notifiable category requires inspection of the facilities but does not demand
attendant destruction of infected fishes or depopulation and disinfection of
facilities. The recommendation of downlisting from emergency prohibitive to
notifiable is based on four criteria: (1) The best evidence based on case
studies indicates fish loss and deformities attributable to whirling disease
are minimal. (2) Appropriate hatchery management techniques are available
to minimize the effect of the disease at fish culture facilities. (3)
Affected fishes retain value or use as food and sport fish provided careful
management strategies are followed and (4) inspection continues to be an
important part of the whirling disease fish health management strategy. The
conference statement provides information on research needs and also a list
of suggested management guidelines relative to the problem. The management
guidelines include a listing that strongly indicate the committee is not
advocating throwing the Basin open to widespread stocking of known carriers,
but are advocating that careful testing and follow-up in regard to this be
used to determine where it is possible to stock known infected fishes without
increasing the range in the Basin or where it is very unlikely that it would
. do so.
As well as the recommendations for changes in the fish disease policy on
whirling disease, the committee is recommending the council make changes
regarding the fish disease policy.
1. Adding to the emergency prohibitive category the addition of the
virenia carp virus as well as the virus disease of northern pike
fry. If the recommendation is passed, there are supplements avail-
able in regard to both diseases providing rationale and an
inspection program which would be incorporated into the policy.
. Both of these diseases can cause very high fish losses and the carp
virus affects other fish of the carp family as well.
2. The committee recommends addition of supplemental information in
regards to ceratamitosis to correct an oversight in not including
this information originally.
The committee has a balance remaining from expenses of the whirling disease
symposium of about $2,500. The committee would like to utilize that money in
the following manner and recommends a council motion to approve these
recommendations:
1. Publish a conference statement on the whirling disease symposium as
it is felt there is a wealth of information that came out of the
conference and it should be published under the council organiza-
tion. Estimates are $800 to $1,000.
2. Strengthen the fish disease policy by the publication of a pamphlet
that would help make people aware that there is a Colorado River
Fish & Wildlife fish disease policy and that the individual member
states all have regulations governing fish health. The pamphlet
would be distributed mainly by the individual states to private
hatchery operators, private lake fee fishing operators, and etc. to

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