Precautions urged to prevent spread of whirling disease
While no confirmed cases of whirling disease have yet shown up in the South Saskatchewan river, according Peter Giamberdino, whirling disease co-ordinator for Alberta Environment and Parks, there are some practical steps local anglers can take to help slow the spread of this parasitic outbreak.
“Anglers can spread the disease, and so what we ask is our anglers help prevent the spread of the disease by remembering to clean, drain and dry all their aquatic equipment, watercraft, waders, nets and other fishing gear in between their trips. Whirling disease is caused by a parasitic organism, and we ask if people know they will be fishing in an area where whirling disease is present, if they are able to, to have a dedicated set of equipment for that specific area and use that each time.”
Whirling disease is spread by a parasitic organism, which is consumed by Tubifex worms from the sediment at the bottom of a water body and secreted into the water. Trout or whitefish are both susceptible to catching the disease, which can be devastating to local populations in some instances. Clinical signs include a sloped forehead, severe spinal curvature which forces the fish to swim in continuous circles until death, (hence the name whirling disease), or a blackened tail.
Giamberdino admits there is very little anyone can do once the TAMS organism is present in a waterbody.
“Once it is present in the wild it is there to stay,” he says. “You can’t eradicate it, so we have to learn to live with it. That’s why the clean, drain, dry message is so important to get out there to Albertans to help prevent the spread.”
Alberta Environment and Parks is asking local anglers to be vigilant this summer while out on the water, and report any trout or whitefish found with clinical signs of the disease. He stresses the disease is harmless to humans, and that while new to Alberta and Canada since 2016, anglers in the United States have been living with this disease for a long time now.
“There is no evidence to show whirling disease is dangerous to human health or to animals. It is safe to eat fish and swim in areas where the disease is present ... We also want people to continue to enjoy their fishing. There are no plans to make any changes to regulations to directly affect anglers in the Bow and Oldman basins.”
For more information on recognizing the signs of whirling disease or to report the discovery of an infected fish, visit the Alberta Environment and Parks website.