APHIS to Lift Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Order - 04/15/14 05:17 PM
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services
APHIS to Lift Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Federal Order
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2014—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is lifting the Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) Federal Order that was first issued in 2006 in response to an outbreak of the fish disease in the Great Lakes region.
After studying the disease, conducting surveillance and evaluating the latest science, APHIS has determined it can safely remove the Federal Order as long as states maintain existing VHS regulations and other practices to reduce risk.
By removing the Federal Order, which has become duplicative with state regulations, we can still protect the health of farmed and wild fish while also supporting the interstate movement needs of the aquaculture industry. Beginning June 2, APHIS will no longer prohibit or restrict the interstate movement of VHS-susceptible species of live fish from VHS-affected or at-risk states, including: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In addition, APHIS will no longer restrict the importation of the same species of live fish from Ontario and Quebec, Canada into the United States. However, this action does not affect the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s salmonid importation requirements as found in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Although APHIS will no longer regulate VHS, the Agency’s Veterinary Services program will continue to work with states and industry to promote sound biosecurity practices and share scientific updates regarding the disease.
What a crock.I'd be ashamed to be an employee of APHIS. The feds started it, causing hardship and great expense on fish farms, and will now wash their hands of their blunder with NO CHANGES AT THE STATE LEVEL. Meanwhile the testing will go on costing fish farmers in Great Lakes millions of dollars a year in testing fees for a disease that does not exist on fish farms and never will!
At the same time the real vectors, anglers moving fish in their live wells goes on because many don't even know what VHS is or that it's illegal to move fish from the Great Lakes to their ponds. There was a very poor attempt at angler education but expensive testing for a virus that does not exist on fish farms was not a problem.
*&^%$#@!
Sorry had to vent.
APHIS to Lift Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Federal Order
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2014—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is lifting the Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) Federal Order that was first issued in 2006 in response to an outbreak of the fish disease in the Great Lakes region.
After studying the disease, conducting surveillance and evaluating the latest science, APHIS has determined it can safely remove the Federal Order as long as states maintain existing VHS regulations and other practices to reduce risk.
By removing the Federal Order, which has become duplicative with state regulations, we can still protect the health of farmed and wild fish while also supporting the interstate movement needs of the aquaculture industry. Beginning June 2, APHIS will no longer prohibit or restrict the interstate movement of VHS-susceptible species of live fish from VHS-affected or at-risk states, including: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In addition, APHIS will no longer restrict the importation of the same species of live fish from Ontario and Quebec, Canada into the United States. However, this action does not affect the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s salmonid importation requirements as found in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Although APHIS will no longer regulate VHS, the Agency’s Veterinary Services program will continue to work with states and industry to promote sound biosecurity practices and share scientific updates regarding the disease.
What a crock.I'd be ashamed to be an employee of APHIS. The feds started it, causing hardship and great expense on fish farms, and will now wash their hands of their blunder with NO CHANGES AT THE STATE LEVEL. Meanwhile the testing will go on costing fish farmers in Great Lakes millions of dollars a year in testing fees for a disease that does not exist on fish farms and never will!
At the same time the real vectors, anglers moving fish in their live wells goes on because many don't even know what VHS is or that it's illegal to move fish from the Great Lakes to their ponds. There was a very poor attempt at angler education but expensive testing for a virus that does not exist on fish farms was not a problem.
*&^%$#@!
Sorry had to vent.