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Posted: December 8, 2024

Discovery threatens Kootenay Lake fisheries: BCWF 

Invasive parasite that causes Whirling Disease confirmed

The presence of whirling disease in Kootenay Lake underlines how vulnerable British Columbia’s lakes, rivers, and freshwater fisheries are in the face of multiple invasive threats.

“At this point no watercraft should be able to enter B.C. without confirming that it is free of invasive plants and animals, especially the parasite that causes whirling disease and invasive quagga and zebra mussels,” stated BC Wildlife Federation Executive Director Jesse Zeman in a Dec. 7 media release.

“Boaters must ensure that they Clean, Drain and Dry their watercraft and trailers, and make sure equipment such as fishing gear, buckets and coolers are free of invasive creatures,” he said.

Whirling disease causes trout and other salmonids to swim erratically in jerky circles, leads to deformities of the spine and jaw, and causes dark patches on the skin near the tail. The parasite is not believed to affect humans.

A robust surveillance and mandatory disinfection program is required on our provincial and international borders, to prevent the spread of the parasite Myxobolus cerebralis, which causes whirling disease in salmonids.

Sadly, B.C. lacks a fully funded defense program, the BCWF noted.

“We are disappointed that the presence of whirling disease on B.C.’s eastern border discovered late last year did not merit a stronger response from the federal government,” said Zeman. “A defense program for whirling disease can do double duty in preventing the spread of the parasite and invasive mussels. The federal government needs to step up with funding to protect British Columbia waters.”

Whirling disease can spread throughout the water and lie in the sediment for months, but it requires the presence of salmonid finfish and a specific aquatic worm to complete its life cycle. That means to break the parasite’s life cycle, every salmonid in an affected water body must be removed or killed to deprive the parasite of hosts in hopes the parasite cannot reproduce and eventually die out. This method has been tried, but to date it has not succeeded, the BCWF media release said.

“It is not clear how the parasite will affect Kootenay Lake’s kokanee and trout fisheries, but the spread of this parasite shows the vulnerability of our lakes and rivers to outside threats,” said Zeman.

Lead image: Kootenay Lake. e-KNOW file photo

e-KNOW


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