Fish with VHS and tournaments

[Dave Bailey]

I doubt that there is any 'yes or no', 'right or wrong' answer to this question, but I really would like to get some input.

 

As most of you are already aware, the vast majority of fishing tournaments are not only catch and release but have penalties for dead fish, and all live fish must be released. But with the outbreak of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia I am wondering if there would be an objection to the following scenario: a fish is presented for weigh-in which shows VHS. It is alive, and returning it to the water would only serve to spread the disease to others. The flesh is perfectly safe for human consumption, so should we allow the participant to retain the fish without penalty? Should we go so far as to encourage that it be kept? And does anyone know if the ministry has a policy on returning such fish to the water? I know that the regulations say that fish suitable for consumption should not be allowed to spoil, are there any exceptions in order to prevent the spread of VHS?