Hi all,
As native fish hobbyist in NY, this topic should be of sincere interest to all. Viral hemorrhagic septicemia has been identified in Lake Erie, Niagara River, Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River, including reaches of tributaries of mentioned waters and several inland waterbodies. This has halted the commercial bait trade in affected areas and has limited personal bait collection in general. As most are aware, the laws regarding the collection of native fish for non-bait uses (ie-aquarium use) in NY State is really left to the interpretation of conservation officers. Collecting for aquarium uses would fall under the bait collecting regulations. So the VHS outbreak will impact anyone collecting bait for any reason in the affected areas. I have attached two weblinks, the first is a press release informing the public about informational meetings that will be given at locations across the state (near affected waters), and the second, NYSDEC's general website regarding VHS that is very informative. The NYSDEC has a law proposed that will affect bait collection and public comments can be sent in.

VHS general- http://www.dec.state.../fish/vhsv.html

VHS informational mtgs- http://www.dec.state...06/2006204.html

Lastly, I commend NYSDEC for their actions in doing everything they can do to limit the spread of this disease. I ask that members of this group do their part and adhere to these regulations while collecting. This includes cleaning sampling gear between sites and of course, not releasing fish back into the environment. We all have to do our part to protect our natural resource.

Thanks for the information, I was not aware of this.