Fish Kill Reporting

[Will Schultz]

E-mail:
DNR-FISH-Report-Fish-Kills@michigan.gov

Phone:

Western Lake Superior Management Unit
George Madison - 906-353-6651

Eastern Lake Superior Management Unit
Robert Moody, Jim Waybrant - 906-293-5131

Lake Erie Management
Gary Towns – 248-359-9046
Jeff Braunscheidel – 248-359-9048
Jim Francis – 248-359-9047

Northern Lake Huron Management Unit
Dave Borgeson, Tim Cwalinski, Neal Godby - 989-732-3541

Southern Lake Huron Management
Jim Baker, Kathrin Schrouder - 989-684-9141

Northern Lake Michigan Management
Bill Ziegler - 906-875-6622
Mike Herman - 906-786-2351

Central Lake Michigan Management Unit
Tom Rozich, Mark Tonello - 231-775-9727

Southern Lake Michigan Management
Jay Wesley, Scott Hanshue, Kregg Smith - 269-685-6851


Heres some fish kill information:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-15 ... --,00.html

[Will Schultz]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2008

CONTACT: Gary Whelan 517-373-1280, Martha Wolgamood 269-668-2696 or Ann Wilson 906-228-6561

DNR Encourages Anglers to Report Unusually Large Fish Kills

In the wake of the recent discovery of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan and from a large inland lake in Ohio, Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries officials would like to remind anglers to report any unusual numbers of dead or dying fish.

"We certainly don't want everyone who sees a single dead fish floating to call it in," said DNR Fish Production Manager Gary Whelan. "But if anyone sees unusually large numbers of dead or dying fish, we want to know about it."

VHS is a disease caused by a virus that has been known to exist in Europe and on the West Coast of the United States for decades. It kills fish by causing internal bleeding.

First identified in the Great Lakes in 2005, VHS likely was carried into the lake by ballast water from oceangoing ships, probably from the Canadian Maritime Provinces. VHS is known to infect a wide variety of both sport and prey species and has caused mortality among a number of species in Michigan.

Although VHS has not been found in the Michigan waters of Lake Michigan, it has been found in northern Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie as well as in Budd Lake near Harrison. The DNR has stepped up surveillance to find out how widespread the disease is in Michigan.

Anglers who observe significant numbers of dead or dying fish are asked to report the information online at www.michigan.gov/dnrfishing, or by calling their local DNR office or the Fisheries Division in Lansing at (517) 373-1280.

More information on VHS also is available on the DNR Web site.

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations.