Tumour-ridden fish found in Couchiching

[kickingfrog]

http://www.orilliapacket.com/2012/09/14/tumour-ridden-fish-found-in-lake-couchiching

 

Tumour-ridden fish found in Lake Couchiching

ROBIN MACLENNAN - Special to The Packet & Times

Friday, September 14, 2012 10:13:10 EDT PM

 

A Bowfin with pink and orange tumours was spotted by Larry Watson at his dock on Couchiching Point. He and his wife, Carole, caught the fish. The photo was taken by their neighbour.

 

ORILLIA - Larry and Carol Watson want their neighbours to know about the discovery they made recently in the lake outside their Couchiching Point home.

 

“I think it is very unusual,” Larry said. “I’ve never seen anything like this here before.”

 

The discovery was a large Bowfin fish found swimming near the couple’s dock. While that might not seem unusual at first, this fish was different.

 

“It was covered in large pink growths around its mouth and eyes and on its body,” Carol said, cringing slightly as she remember her first sighting. “It was not normal. We are concerned because there are kids swimming here and we don’t know what caused the tumours on the fish.”

 

Concerned about potential health risks and unsure what was wrong with the fish, the Watsons called local naturalist Bob Bowles, who then contacted the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) for advice.

 

“I looked at it and I really couldn’t figure out what it was,” Bowles said. “I sent pictures to the MNR and at first they said they would come out and do a biopsy, but then they decided that wasn’t necessary.”

 

Disappointed and unsure what to do with the fish, Bowles then called the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA). Again, photos were forwarded and the reply failed to put their minds at ease.

 

“Judging solely by the photos, it looks like lymphocystis, a common viral infection that is triggered by stress,” LSRCA senior fisheries biologists wrote in an email to Bowles. He advised the residents that the Bowfin “looks quite old” due to its size and that may be a factor in the progress of the disease.

 

“It also appears that the eyes were affected which may have somewhat inhibited the specimen’s feeding,”

 

He suggested that “this is nothing to worry about” and suggested Bowles send the picture to the MNR.

 

The Bowfin, also known as the Dogfish, prefers to live in swampy, poorly oxygenated waters.

 

Bowles and the Watsons are not happy with the conclusion and will continue to seek answers and reassurances that the water is safe.

 

“We know the quality of the water out there is not good beause of the weed growth,” Bowles said. “Then we have a fish with these tumours found in the water we are drinking every day. I want to know what’s going on with it.”

 

On the advice of the MNR, Watson released the sick Bowfin back into the lake.

 

The Watsons have lived on the Point for 22 years and this is the first “obviously diseased” fish they have seen in the area.

 

“We worry that there will be more,” Larry said. “I’m sure I have seen at least two out there.”

 

Bowles said he was surprised to find that none of the authorities was interested in examining the fish, because “it certainly looks like lymphocystis, but the only way we can know for sure is to biopsy the growths,” he said.

 

“This might be a common occurrence in some areas, but we have never seen it here. It makes me wonder who’s really monitoring the water for us.”

 

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[northernpike56]

Thats really gross. If it were me, I doubt I would be releasing that thing back into my lake...

 

Matt.

[Rod Caster]

"Who's monitoring the water for us?" Haha, and paranoia sets in. Its a sick fish, as if that is something new, the mnr isn't gonna waste money on a biopsy just because you want them to on a fish that has a rather common and well-documented symptom.

[fishinmortician]

There's anglers that would still throw that in their bucket and boil it up for dinner!

Edited September 15, 2012 by fishinmortician

[wall i]

Offensive stuff.........never had a tumour riddled fish in isolated lakes. Harper just cut back funding on freshwater research......."how would you like your cancer......fried or baked?".

[Rattletrap2]

I don't get it. For a Senior Fisheries Biologist to claim "it looks like Lymphocystis" is pretty nonchalant! I mean they already had the darn fish out of the water! What would it take to do a biopsy and either deal with the situation, or put the land owners concerns at ease?

 

No one is asking them to undertake "raising the Titanic" or anything!This is a job that could easily of been done at any of the University Biology labs.

 

Sorry, I guess I'm just a little tired and aggravated with all this "Guvment" Bull today!