The first Canadian case of whirling disease has been found in fish in Banff National Park’s Johnson Lake, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Parks Canada said Thursday.
“We’re pretty concerned,” Trout Unlimited provincial biologist Lesley Peterson said. “It hasn’t been seen in Canada ever so every time you have a new invasive species or disease…it’s a big concern because you don’t know what the impacts could be.”
Whirling disease doesn’t harm people or other mammals, but can have a significant effect on salmonoids—salmon, trout, char and whitefish. Rainbow trout and westslope cutthroat trout are the two species affected in Johnson Lake.
It’s caused by a microscopic parasite that penetrates the head and spine and eventually causes the fish to swim erratically — or whirl. That leads to difficulty feeding and avoiding predators.
Peterson said there could be “huge” economic impacts.
“There’s a big potential for this to impact our fisheries, our native fisheries our westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout that reside in Banff National Park and the recreational fisheries,” Peterson said.
The province said infected fish may also have skeletal deformities on its body or head (“shortening of the mandible and indentations on the top of the head”) along with a dark or black tail.
Watch below: FishPathogens.net’s video of a rainbow trout infected with myxobolus cerebralis, displaying typical signs of whirling disease.
“It can be transmitted to other water bodies through fish and fish parts and gear or equipment used for swimming, paddling, boating and fishing,” Parks Canada said in a statement.
Read the CFIA fact sheet on whirling disease here
The CFIA confirmed the presence of whirling disease on Tuesday. Johnson Lake had been closed to the public to prevent the risk of spreading the disease as of Aug. 18. Parks Canada is now testing water bodies in and adjacent to Johnson Lake, primarily downstream of the area in the Bow River along with Two Jack Lake. Results are expected in early September, the Alberta government said.
“This means that fishing, boating, swimming/wading, etc. in the waters of Johnson Lake or its tributaries is unlawful. Hiking trails around the lake remain open,” reads an alert posted online.
While it’s the first reported case in Canada, Alberta Environment and Parks said the disease has been found in the United States since the 1950s and is “prevalent in the western and northeastern states.”
“Whirling disease is a federally reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act and the CFIA is working closely with Parks Canada and Alberta Environment and Parks to ensure a coordinated response to the disease,” Parks Canada said in a statement.
The Alberta government said based on CFIA recommendations, the province has put “a proactive hold on fish stocking salmonoids until individual fish farms and hatcheries are tested for the presence of the disease.”
Parks Canada offered the following reminders for visitors:
- Fish and fish parts caught while fishing should be properly disposed of
- All equipment and gear such as boats, trailers, waders, boots, float tubes, and fins should be cleaned both before and after recreating in any body of water
- Rinse all mud and debris from equipment and gear
- Drain water from boats before leaving an area
- Allow all equipment and gear to dry before entering another water body
- Wash dogs with warm water and brush them thoroughly
The province asks anyone who suspects a case of whirling disease to call 1-855-336-BOAT (2628).
Comments