Spiel

Briton hailed as world's greatest fisherman May 31, 2008 FRANK URQUHART / scotsman.com A BRITISH angler has been hailed the world's greatest fisherman after spending 18 years travelling 150,000 miles to achieve sport angling's Holy Grail for the first time in history. See a colourful slideshow from some of Zyg Gregorek's memorable fishing expeditions. Zyg Gregorek, 65, is the first recreational fisherman anywhere to catch all 27 species in the three so-called "royal slams" set by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) – hooking nine species of shark, including the great white, ten of billfish and eight of tuna. His journey has taken him to some of the most remote corners of the world: from South Africa to Australia, Mauritius and the Galapagos Islands, and from America, Madeira and Ascension Island to Mozambique. Mr Gregorek, who caught his first shark, a 40lb blue, off the coast at Padstow in Cornwall, completed his royal slams when he landed a 200lb thresher shark off San Diego – a species he had been trying to catch since 2004. Rob Kramer, president of Florida-based IGFA, described Mr Gregorek's achievement as "totally unique". He said: "To achieve one royal slam is impressive but to get all three is unheard of. He is the first and maybe the last. These awards are considered the big one – the Holy Grail. They are spectacular – travelling to exotic places and chasing a specific species of fish." Mr Kramer stressed: "It is not about luck – you have to research, to know exactly where to go and when. Zyg is, by definition, the world's greatest fisherman." Mr Gregorek, of Halwill in Devon, admitted: "It's cost a bomb but was worth it in the end. To complete all three slams is the culmination of many years' work and the end of a personal journey. "I've had a fair few scrapes to get there. I've had many a run-in with the authorities. I've had guns pointed at me and had a scrape with a poisonous snake on more than one occasion. "In Australia, I cracked ribs after an altercation with branches, resulting in an impromptu swim in crocodile-infested waters. "I caught a black marlin in Mozambique and when I jumped in to celebrate, I cut my leg on the propeller." The biggest fish he caught was a 1,300lb great white shark off South Africa in 2000. He explained: "Some sharks you catch by accident while fishing for other things but some were more targeted. The great white was a specific target in South Africa." He added: "It has been very humbling at times. Some of the crews who helped me have been very poor. In Mozambique, the crew asked me if they could keep my catches because they were big enough to feed their entire village." Barry Scholes, of the Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers, said: "It is a fantastic achievement. Anybody who pursues record fish and dedicates their time to doing that is involved in one of the purest forms of the sport." The shark royal slam consists of the blue, hammerhead, mako, thresher, tiger, white, tope, whaler and porbeagle. The billfish royal slam consists of the Atlantic and Pacific sailfish, Atlantic and Pacific blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin, white marlin, swordfish and spearfish. The tuna royal slam comprises the Atlantic and Pacific bigeye, blackfin, bluefin, dogtooth, longtail, skipjack, southern bluefin and yellowfin. PROFILE HE IS well known in angling circles but eccentric "shark hunter" Zyg Gregorek came to national attention last year when he pledged to catch a great white shark that had been pictured off the coast of Cornwall at the height of the tourist season. "I've been fishing for these monsters off Cornwall for ten years because I know they are there," he told one newspaper. "It's only a matter of time before I catch this fish." His enthusiasm may have been dampened when it turned out the picture was a fake – the shark had actually been photographed off the coast of South Africa. Mr Gregorek, variously described as a Polish fisherman, angling club owner and winemaker, also claims to speak three languages. Basking shark boom makes waves around Hebrides THE number of basking sharks around the Hebrides has more than doubled in the past five years, research has shown. The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust's research suggests their numbers have risen from fewer than 100 in 2003 to 250 last year. Particular hot spots are the west coast of Mull, the sea around the islands of Tiree and Coll and the Small Isles. The season for spotting basking sharks usually runs from about May until autumn and they have already been spotted this year. Susannah Calderan, biodiversity officer for the trust, thinks it could be due to an increase in food supply, or due to greater protection afforded the animals in recent years. "We have a good population of basking sharks that seem to be thriving and this is a really good time to be seeing them. "We think they are on the increase but it's difficult to say if it's a long-term trend or a blip. "There is clearly good food around here for them. Also, until recently they were fished for. They are protected now, so some population recovery may be going on." They are world's second largest fish after the whale shark, growing to 36ft long. Interview with Zyg Gregorek

Black bear attacks and kills grandmother, 70, on fishing trip June 2, 2008 KATE HAMMER / Globe and Mail The husband of a 70-year-old grandmother who was killed by a bear in northern Quebec fearlessly chased the wild animal off his wife's battered body, according to family members. Conservation experts set traps after Friday evening's attack, but according to police, as of last night, the bear was still at large in the wilds of northern Quebec. Cecile Lavoie and Alexandre Lavoie, 73, were in remote country nearly 600 kilometres northwest of Ottawa, where the retirees often spent the weekend fishing or hunting deer. According to her daughter, Ms. Lavoie felt at home in the woods and on the banks of the Theo River, where the bear attacked. As she scouted a fishing hole for walleye, Ms. Lavoie became separated from her husband. Barely 10 minutes later, Mr. Lavoie felt something was amiss and went searching for his wife of 51 years. Metres away he came upon the nightmarish scene of her body being dragged into the forest by a bear. Mr. Lavoie chased the predator for nearly 200 metres and managed very briefly to scare it away from his wife. He tried but was unable to carry her limp and bleeding body back through the dense spring foliage. He left her and went for help. When he arrived with police, the bear had returned and was combative. "The bear was still around and the bear was aggressive," said Sergeant Gregory Gomez del Prado, a spokesman for the Quebec provincial police. "It was dark so it was hard to find the woman's body." The bear was so aggressive, police were forced to delay attempts to retrieve Ms. Lavoie's remains until early Saturday morning, after it retreated into the deep woods north of the small community of La Sarre. Yesterday Ms. Lavoie's family gathered at her Beaucanton home. Mr. Lavoie, the retired owner of a logging machinery business his wife helped him build, is still in shock according to his daughter, Christine Lavoie. "She was an angel," Christine said yesterday in a telephone interview. "Fishing and hunting were her favourite activities, she was in her paradise." According to the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Fauna website, black bears are the species most commonly found in Quebec. This species rarely attacks humans and only four people have been killed by black bears in that province over the past 25 years. In 1991, a black bear killed a Toronto couple in Algonquin Park, baffling wildlife experts as it left the campers' food stores untouched. In 2001, a high-school student was attacked and partly eaten by a black bear 25 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife. In 2007, a Calgary woman, who was cycling on a trail near a British Columbia resort, was stalked and killed by a black bear. Attacks sometimes occur in the spring when bears awake from hibernation and are hungry. According to wildlife experts, a long winter and large amounts of snow meant this year's hibernation season stretched a few weeks longer than usual. In the event that one is approached by a black bear, the ministry website recommends moving slowly and avoiding eye contact in order to evade being identified as prey by the bear. Climbing a tree can be an effective way to escape attack. According to her family, the attack on Ms. Lavoie happened so quickly she didn't even have time to scream, let alone reach for the bear spray she carried with her. As accomplished hunters and campers who were born and raised in northern Canada, the Lavoies were well-versed in the recommended tools for avoiding and dealing with bear attacks. It remains unclear why the bear attacked Ms. Lavoie. In addition to her husband, she leaves behind five children and 11 grandchildren.

May 27, 2008 HIGHWAY 400 ENFORCEMENT CHECK FINDS 90 PER CENT OF ANGLERS OBEYING RULES Most anglers checked at the southbound Highway 400 Service Centre in the city of Vaughn, York Region, were obeying Ontario's fishing regulations. The Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Transportation and the Ontario Provincial Police conducted the joint enforcement blitz on May 19, 2008. Officers checked for compliance with both provincial and federal fish and game regulations and paid special attention to Ontario's fishing regulations, out of season bass and proper transportation of fish. Conservation officers checked approximately 300 anglers during the ten-hour operation and issued 25 charges for fish and wildlife related offences including: - possessing bass out-of-season - transporting fish whose species cannot be identified, and - failing to produce a licence. They also issued 11 warnings and took the opportunity to educate the public about over limits, seasons and proper transport techniques. Conservation officers occasionally use roadside check stations to enforce fish and wildlife regulations. To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). More violations here. www.ocoa.ca

....Great pictures, put a big smile on my face.

....Some useful tips posted here a few weeks back.

....You didn't know Dan? You oughta check in here more often, it's how I stay informed.

....If the rules were followed in regards to political, religious threads there'd be no problem. The board will remain as is. Also PM'ing these issues directly to a mod(s) is also in the rules! and for the record bias had nothing to do with it.

....Camera work? I believe what has happened is first a small pike was tied to the end of a small rope and tossed over the side of the boat. A second larger pike subsequently followed then dragged around in the water beside the boat, the force causing it to slide down over the head of the smaller pike. Admittedly though this does show up frequently.

A home for Giant Mudcat May 27, 2008 KAREN BEST / dunnvillechronicle.com An outstanding landmark may tower at the western entrance to Dunnville in Centennial Park if an agreement is signed with the Big Mudcat project committee. On Monday, Haldimand County council members unanimously agreed to locating the giant mudcat statue in the park near Grandview Lodge. According to a report by leisure services manager Rick Lane, the project committee was in favour of this location because of issues with other sites including Wingfield Park. First proposed in October 2006, the huge statue may finally have a place to call home. The giant mudcat will be 50 feet (15 metres) long and will rise 27 feet (eight metres) in the air. It will be set upon a support structure so it will appear to float six feet (two metres) off the ground. Lighting and rocks will simulate a river atmosphere. The anticipated arrival of the big fish has changed county plans for the one-and-a-half-acre park at the corner of Highway 3 and Robinson Road. Naturalization will be set aside for a passive park with manicured grass, trees, fountain improvements, flower gardens and more decorative lights. In Lane's report, he suggested locating the fish about 125 feet off the road. Trees will be moved to another part of the park to make room for the statue. Coun. Lorne Boyko was elated that this location was selected because this is where the community initially thought it should go. The Big Mudcat project committee and the Rotary Club of Dunnville have agreed to the terms of the lease agreement as prepared by county corporate services, said Lane. As well as welcoming council's support, project committee chair Jack Hooghiem wanted to review details. "At this stage, we have to see the agreement and discuss it with committee members," he said. "It will be standing a year from today if all goes well," he stated. Originally estimated at a $60,000 project with the statue and a parade float, the big mudcat will become a reality with the support of the Rotary Club, Kinsmen Club of Dunnville, Lioness Club of Dunnville, Lions Club of Dunnville and Optimist Club of Dunnville. Private donations and an anticipated Trillium grant will round out fundraising efforts. At first, the committee wanted to mount the fish on the site of the old library at Wingfield Park. Several proposals popped up for the building with the last being restoration of the house. Council advised the Big Mudcat committee that no decision about the park would be made until the Dunnville Culture and Heritage Foundation business plan was received. At that time, council suggested Centennial Park which was recently accepted by the Big Mudcat committee. John McKay of the culture and heritage foundation said the group, which wants to preserve the 140-year-old Braund House and keep it in Wingfield Park, presented its business plan to county staff. At the June 16 council committee meeting, staff will table a report reviewing the plan. To gather more support and promote their project, the Dunnville Culture and Heritage Foundation will have a booth at the Mudcat Festival's Community Lane in Central Park on June 7. The group will sell memberships and take pledges toward restoration of the Georgian home of tin smith William Braund. McKay said a show of support from the community will give them a say in protecting this heritage building.

Control crews attack lamprey in Big Otter May 30, 2008 Jeff Helsdon / tillsonburgnews.com Big Otter Creek has been flowing green and mean the last couple of days if you are a sea lamprey. Department of Fisheries and Oceans crews were in town to treat the Otter with TFM, a lamprey control chemical. The application of TFM turned the creek green. Sea lamprey is an invasive species that colonized the upper Great Lakes over 50 years ago when the Welland Canal was deepened. The creatures attack fish, sucking blood and juices from them, which often is fatal. During the creature’s 12 to 18-month parasitic phase, one lamprey can destroy over 40 pounds of fish. The sea lamprey control program is a joint effort between Canada and the United States. Typically Lake Erie tributaries are treated every three years to keep lamprey numbers in check. Since lamprey numbers in Lake Erie are increasing, treatment in back-to-back years is being undertaken on all lamprey-producing tributaries. That list includes both Big Creek and the Big Otter. Treatment in the Otter started Monday at midnight and needs to continue for 14 hours to be effective. TFM will kill lamprey larvae and adults. It is not fatal to fish as fish have an enzyme that allows them to metabolize chemical. “If there is diseased fish in the river, or other compromised fish, there will be some kill, but it will be light,” said Brian Stephens, treatment supervising biologist with the Sea Lamprey Control Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. He said there would be some kill of invertebrates, but these creatures drift with the current and will repopulate from populations above the treated area. During treatment, the crew of 28 people takes water samples to ensure the concentration is at the required level. Samples are processed at a portable laboratory based at Covey’s Super 8. In addition, crew members in canoes ensure the TFM is effective and is killing the lamprey. “They’re our eyes on the stream and can tell us we’re getting the level of kill we want,” Stephens said. The technicians in canoes also use portable sprayers to treat backwater areas the main chemical flow misses. Stephens explained if the entire stream were not treated, the lamprey would swim to the untreated area to escape the chemical. When sea lamprey hatch, the young are filter feeders and live in streams until they are three years old. After that age, the lamprey develops eyes and a mouth, become parasitic and migrates into the lake. As part of the stepped-up effort, crews will treat all lamprey-producing tributaries again in fall 2009. Stephens explained by that time, any larvae from eggs laid in 2009 would be hatched and vulnerable to TFM. In addition to TFM application, barrier dams also limit lamprey spawning. In this area, dams are located on the Little Otter, Normandale Creek and Clear Creek. Other local creeks being treated are Young’s Creek, south of Simcoe and Silver Creek, between Port Burwell and Port Bruce.

One hundred years of selling worms in Muskoka May 28, 2008 Amberly McAteer / .muskokan.com Photo by Amberly McAteer / BALA LANDMARK. The owner of Purk’s Place, Bill Purkis stands in his store in Bala. The famous slogan ‘boats and bait since 1908’ is a bit of a fib, as the building has been there since 1905, but that year did not rhyme with bait. Purk’s Place, a bait and boat shop, has been a landmark in Bala for decades but it faces an uncertain future The small wooden house stands perched on the shore of the Moon River sandwiched between the north bridge and the CPR railway tracks. The building shakes and business comes to a standstill dozens of times a day as the train trundles through Bala. “After this many years, you definitely get used to it,” says owner Bill Purkis, his tiny eyes lighting up from behind round metal glasses. “It’s sort of a ritual now.” In a plaid shirt and green rubber boots, you’d never guess that Bill was a systems analyst for IBM, living the bustling city life 20 years ago. His leathered skin and infectious, crooked smile lead you to believe he’s been selling bait and boats here his whole life. But it was just two decades ago when he and his family left their Lawrence Park home and went in search of a simpler life. They settled on a 20-acre farm in Huron County, where neighbours nicknamed Bill “Old McDonald”. But they didn’t stay for long. When Bill’s father and longtime owner of Purk’s, Tom Purkis became ill and passed away, Bill knew he had to take over. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid,” he says, his voice deep and sprightly. “I came in here every week when I was going to Camp Pinecrest as a little boy. This was the place to buy our bait for our day out on the water and maybe a treat or two.” At that time, the store was W.D Cunningham’s boat livery, and the Purkis family was Toronto-based and coming to Bala every summer to enjoy their cottage on Moon River. Tom Purkis was a wildly successful ad salesman for the Globe and Mail for years, but when the Toronto Telegram offered him a higher wage, he jumped at the chance. With his higher pay, he took off for a celebratory vacation to England with his wife. But when he returned, he learned the paper had gone under and he was out of a job. “Dad needed a new job and had the opportunity to do something completely different,” says Bill. Plus, Tom’s lungs were damaged from a heavy cigarette addiction and from serving in the navy during the Second World War. “The doctor told him he had to change,” recalls Bill. “But instead of quitting smoking, he just moved up here for the fresh air.” He looked after his customers and was always giving people deals. Bill recalls the company accountant paying Tom a visit to tell him he had to stop, if he wanted to make money. “But before the accountant left, he asked for a deal on a canoe. No word of a lie,” Bill exclaims, bending over with his hearty laughter. He slaps his knee. “And, of course, dad gave it to him half price.” It wasn’t the money Tom was interested in, but the opportunity to get to know Bala locals and cottagers. Owning a bait and boat shop on the water seemed like the perfect answer. For Bill, too, the shop provides an easygoing life. “There’s not too many worries or stress out here,” he says from the dock, squinting his eyes in the sun. But the future of the shop is uncertain, as the Ontario government plans to build a hydropower plant near the shore that Purk’s Place currently uses to dock its boats — although the area is legally Crown land and belongs to the province. The exact location of the plant is still in the works, so Purkis is unsure about what it will mean for his business. “I just hope I can keep doing what I do, for many more years,” he says. “I love the water. I love the rocks. I just love Bala and this is where I’m meant to be in life, in my opinion.”

Muskoka anglers win top prize at pike tourney May 28, 2008 / bracebridgeexaminer.com Photo by Matt Driscoll / LAKE MUSKOKA MONSTER. Huntsville’s Mike Bertelsen hoists a 41.25-inch pike he hauled out of Lake Muskoka during Saturday’s Lake Muskoka Pike Tournament hosted by Muskoka Bassmasters. The fish tied for the biggest of the day. Bertelsen and his partner Allan Weisberg finished third overall, behind the team of Mike Blewett and Brian Gardy, and winners Wes Foster and Mike Reid. Saturday was the perfect day for fishing when 68 teams set out for the Muskoka Bassmasters’ annual Lake Muskoka Open Spring Pike Tournament. After the anglers returned to Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst for the 4 p.m. weigh-in, the local team of Mike Reid and Wes Foster were declared the winners with five pike, measuring 173.5 inches in total. Their biggest fish of the day measured in at 39 inches. Reid and Foster took away $6,800 in prize money for their efforts. The second-place team was Mike Blewett and Brian Gardy who recorded 171.75 inches of fish. Their biggest catch measured 41.25 inches, winning them $660. Blewett and Gardy walked away with $2,720 in prize money. Third place belonged to Mike Bertlesen and Allan Weisburg, who won $2,040 in prize money, plus $660 for their biggest catch, which also measured 41.25 inches. The team of John Meadowcroft and Shawn Morrissey claimed fourth place and $1,360 for a total of 164.75 inches in pike. Rounding out the top five was the team of Chris Marling and Phil Curtis, who won $680 with a total catch of 158 inches. Out of the three tagged fish to be caught, only one was captured, winning anglers Tim Ellis and Shane Labelle free entry into next year’s tournament. Muskoka Bassmasters reports the big winning, free Yamaha 4-wheeler tag was not caught. Photo by Amberly McAteer / FAMILIAR FACE. Bob Izumi shows off his catch, a 25-1/2-inch pike, at last weekend’s Muskoka Bassmasters tournament in Gravenhurst. The TV show host placed 17th in the competition held on Lake Muskoka.

Anglers be warned fishing regulation blitz underway Thursday, May 29, 2008 Ministry of Natural Resources News Release ******************** The walleye fishery will get special attention as the Ministry of Natural Resources conducts a fishing regulation blitz across northeastern Ontario to ensure that anglers know and follow the rules. The area of the blitz extends from Hudson Bay and James Bay in the north to the French and Mattawa rivers in the south, and from the Ontario-Quebec border in the east to Lake Superior and the Manitouwadge Area in the west. The blitz runs from May 17 to June 14. The walleye fishery generally opens May 17 across the northeast Anglers are reminded of the following licensing requirements: - Residents of Canada must have a fishing licence tag attached to a valid Outdoors Card. - Non-residents of Canada must have a fishing licence tag attached to a signed basic licence form. - Outdoors Cards and non-resident licences are not transferable and they must be carried anytime you are fishing. - Anglers must show their licence to a conservation officer if asked. When transporting fish, anglers must ensure that fish length is readily measurable at all times for fish taken from waterbodies where size limits are in effect, unless the fish are: - being prepared for immediate consumption; - prepared at an overnight accommodation for storage; - being transported on the water from a temporary overnight accommodation to a person's primary residence and that person is NOT engaged in sport fishing; or - being transported overland Conservation officers must also be able to determine the species and number of fish that are in the anglers’ possession. For more information on fishing regulations, please continue to consult the 2008 -2009 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary before heading out to fish. It is available at ServiceOntario/Government Information Centres outlets and from most licence issuers, as well as on the ministry’s website at: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsF...L02_163615.html Some patrols may be carried out jointly with the Ontario Provincial Police. The police may enforce other statutes, such as the Liquor Licence Act and Boating Restrictions Regulations. Conservation officers may also enforce Small Vessel Regulations. To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Lake Manitou claims lives of fishing pals; Two Ohio men drown in tragic boating mishap May 28, 2008 Alicia McCutcheon / manitoulin.ca LAKE MANITOU-Members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) underwater search and recovery unit discovered the bodies of two American tourists early Saturday morning after their fiberglass boat had been reported found without the occupants on Thursday evening at approximately 6:22 pm. The two Ohio men, Harpal Chohan, 48, of Columbus and Russ Morrison, 44, of Gahann were staying at the Wee Point Resort on Bidwell Road and had only just arrived Thursday. The pair left for a boat ride on Lake Manitou at around 5 pm and were not seen again. Jim Hembruff, proprietor of Wee Point Resort said he and his family are greatly saddened by the event, explaining that one of the men had been coming to Wee Point for over 10 years. He said the lake was "wild" that day and noted that the vessel the men were traveling in was not very large. "There's an old saying that goes 'there's no two fishing trips alike,'" Mr. Hembruff said as a warning of the unpredictability of Mother Nature. "Conditions can change fast on the lake." The proprietor said the boat was seen from the resort property Thursday evening running in "figure eights" and obviously unmanned when the police were called. Constable Al Boyd, community services officer with the OPP, said that upon police arrival-approximately 6:30 pm-the boat was found on shore with the motor still running. That evening a search was initiated with officers on foot as well as the marine unit. The United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin Tribal Police also assisted in the search, launching their vessel on Lake Manitou as well. Constable Boyd explained that the emergency response team and the OPP helicopter from Sudbury were activated that evening. The search continued until sunset that night and resumed at daybreak Friday morning. Both the North Shore Search and Rescue team and the Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton were notified and on standby. When the search again resumed on Saturday morning, the dive unit located the bodies of the two men not far from the resort. Police investigation has shown that neither men were wearing a life jacket. Mr. Hembruff could not say enough about the police efforts over the course of the three days. "They did everything they could do," he said. Constable Boyd warned of the lake temperatures, both inland and in the North Channel and Lake Huron. "We haven't had warm temperatures considering the time of year and the water is still extremely cold," Constable Boyd said. "Hypothermia should be a considering factor for those venturing out fishing or boating. People need to be aware. It doesn't take long until the core body temperature starts to go down." "I can't stress the importance of life preservers enough, even in the middle of summer when the water is warm," the officer continued. "They should be worn at all times." Tracy Braun of the Canadian Red Cross said the biggest mistake people make is believing they can put their life jackets on after there is a mishap. "You don't usually end up in the water by choice," she said. "It's the same message as seatbelts. You wouldn't wait until an accident to put it on, would you? It's only going to prevent something if you have it on-not use it as a seat cushion." Ms. Braun noted that the highest rate for drowning victims is males between the ages of 14 and 45 as they are the "hardest group to try and change their behaviour." "Even good swimmers drown," she said. "The best life jacket is the one you wear." Constable Boyd noted that this makes three drownings already this year-including 38-year-old Sergio Girimonte of Brampton drowned in Mudge Bay on April 26. Mr. Girimonte lost his footing while fishing for rainbow trout and slipped under the water. His body was recovered the following morning by the OPP underwater recovery unit. "Know the conditions of the water and always wear a life preserver," Constable Boyd stressed. "Take extra precautions and always notify someone as to where you're going."

Why no VHS-caused fish kills this year? Calm Before Storm? Friday, May 30, 2008 David Figura, Outdoors Editor / syracuse.com John Berry / The Post-Standard Francis Daher, owner of Mickey's Bait & Tackle, holds Golden Shiners to be used as bait. Bait-sale restrictions are still in place after past fish kills connected to the VHS virus. Last year at this time, the Central New York fishing community was buzzing about fish kills connected to the VHS virus and a new set of controversial restrictions governing the sale of bait. The bait-sale restrictions are still in place and those who violate them risk getting a ticket costing the angler up to $250. In fact, the state Department of Environmental Conservation is considering making the bait restrictions a little tighter. So far this spring, though, there hasn't been a single VHS case confirmed anywhere in the state. "It may be the calm before the storm. We don't know what's going on out in the wild," said Geoffrey Groocock, a professor working for Cornell University's Aquatic Animal Health Program, which tests diseased or suspicious-looking fish for the state. The disease, viral hemorrhagic septicemia, causes fish to hemorrhage and destroys the organs that make blood cells. The virus has been identified in 20 freshwater species and has resulted at times in large fish kills, primarily in the Great Lakes. The virus presents no health risk to humans, officials have repeatedly said. Last spring on Skaneateles Lake, hundreds of dead rock bass and smallmouth bass infected with VHS either floated to the surface or stayed on the bottom. A single lake trout, turned in by an angler, also tested positive. In addition to Skaneateles Lake, the virus was detected last spring in sunfish in the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, in gobies and other fish in Lake Ontario and in a rainbow trout from the Little Salmon River (a tributary to Lake Ontario). The year before, there was a sizable walleye fish kill on Conesus Lake. So why no VHS-caused fish kills this year? Groocock and others point out that last year's spring was prematurely warm. Temperatures rose rapidly during the time when many fished were stressed physically from spawning. The resulting warmer water may have been more conducive to the spread of the virus. This year, it's been a colder spring.

Cloud hangs over marsh May 30, 2008 Eric McGuinness / The Hamilton Spectator Hamilton Spectator File Photo Cootes Paradise -- threatened by a proposed new plan to regulate the level of Lake Ontario -- happens to be enjoying nearly ideal conditions for fish and wildlife this spring. Tys Theysmeyer, aquatic ecologist for the Royal Botanical Gardens, which owns the nature sanctuary at the west end of the Hamilton Harbour, says low water last fall helped get rid of most of the remaining carp blamed for uprooting marsh plants and stirring up sediment. High water this spring is good for nesting water birds, spawning fish and other wildlife. "It's perfect breeding habitat for our frogs and fish, what we need after the Biedermann (pesticides plant) fire that wiped out a lot of life last summer," Theysmeyer said in an interview. " We've never had so many fish at the fishway," which excludes carp while letting desirable fish enter the marsh to spawn. "The numbers continue to rise." The present plan for controlling outflow from Lake Ontario was adopted by the Canada-United States International Joint Commission (IJC) in the 1950s. Environmentalists say it doesn't allow enough seasonal fluctuation for birds, fish and wildlife, while waterfront property owners in New York state maintain it doesn't do enough to minimize shoreline erosion. A $20-million, five-year study of alternatives produced three options, but the commission set them aside in favour of a compromise called Plan 2007. Theysmeyer, and most environmental interests, prefer one of the original three known as Plan B+. The N.Y. Department of Environmental Conservation says the IJC proposal will damage the lake ecosystem as much or more than the current plan, prompting Governor David Paterson to ask U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to intervene on behalf of Plan B+. Ontario Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield says Plan 2007 does have many good features, but said she believes there is more merit in B+. The IJC is holding 10 public hearings around the lake, the first in Jordan at 7 p.m. June 9 at the Best Western Beacon Harbourside Inn and Conference Centre, 2793 Beacon Blvd. For more information, go to the IJC website at ijc.org.

Transgenic fish could shed light on contamination

Oldest Live-Birth Fossil Found; Fish Had Umbilical CordCarolyn Barry in Sydney, Australia for National Geographic News May 28, 2008 / nationalgeographic.com Remains of the world's oldest known mother have been unearthed in the Australian outback, scientists say. The remarkably well-preserved fossil—about 375 to 380 million years old—shows an embryo connected to its mother fish by an umbilical cord. It is the earliest evidence of a vertebrate giving birth to live young, shifting back the date some 200 million years, said John Long, head of sciences at Museum Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, and lead author of a new study describing the find. The fossil is also the earliest record of vertebrate sex, since live birth occurs when an ovum, or egg, has been fertilized internally by male sex cells. "Having such advanced reproduction for a fish that primitive is amazing," Long said. Evidence of live birth—as opposed to egg laying—is extremely rare and has only been found in a few fossils of dolphin-like reptiles called ichthyosaurs and marine lizards known as mosasaurs, Long said. The new fossil captures a long-extinct placoderm, a primitive, shark-like armored fish. Dinosaurs of the Sea Often called the "dinosaurs of the sea," placoderms were the ruling class of marine creatures for 70 million years—in the middle of the Paleozoic period—until their extinction about 360 million years ago. Paleontologists believe they are the most primitive jawed vertebrates, even predating sharks. The newfound mother fish measures 10 inches (25 centimeters) long, but other placoderms can grow to 20 feet (6 meters)—"some gargantuan in size," Long said. Much of the fish's soft tissue has been preserved in a three-dimensional state, making the fossil "basically an exact replica of the living animal," said study co-author Kate Trinajstic, a paleontologist at the University of Western Australia. "The material was so well preserved that we were able to pick up subtle details," Trinajstic said. Such details helped the scientists determine that the prehistoric mother and baby are a new species of ptyctodont, a type of placoderm that has plates around the head and neck rather than the extensive body armor of its relatives. They named the species Materpiscis attenboroughi—a combination of "mother fish" and a nod to world-renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough. Attenborough's 1979 TV series Life on Earth first brought to light the scientific value of the Gogo area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The area is the site of an ancient barrier reef that once teemed with marine life. Fossils in the Gogo are so immaculately preserved because the reef became devoid of oxygen, which quickly killed the fish and the scavengers that would otherwise devour them, Trinajstic said. Rapid burial and a stable tectonic continent made for near-perfect fossil preservation conditions. A description of the fossil is published in this week's issue of the journal Nature. Evolutionary Innovation Michael Lee, an evolutionary biologist at the South Australian Museum, was not involved in the new research. "Live-bearing and maternal nourishment of embryos is a very important evolutionary innovation, which we ourselves exhibit," Lee said. "The evidence that the included individual is an embryo [rather than ingested prey] is very strong—it's the same species, the right size to be an embryo, in the correct location within the body, and has what appear to be umbilical structures." Live birth "might be preserved more commonly than we thought. Now that we know what to look for, it might be noticed more often," he added. In fact, a reevaluation of a fossil found in 1986 reveals that it is a second placoderm fossil with three embryos nestled inside the mother. Study author Long had found the second specimen, a Gogonasus fossil, on an expedition to Gogo funded by a National Geographic Society grant. (National Geographic News is part of the National Geographic Society). At the time, Long thought the embyros were scales. "There are still lots of things to discover," Long said. "Gogo is giving us a picture not just of reproduction, but of the whole lifestyle of these creatures."

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