Emergency regulations adopted by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation need the cooperation of all fishermen in the state to help prevent the spread of a deadly fish disease, Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS).

VHS, although fatal to fish, does not pose a threat to human health, according to DEC.

On waters where bait fish are allowed, those bait fish must originate in that body of water. Commercial purveyors of bait must provide bait fish taken from the body of water where their customers intend to fish, or must have their bait fish officially certified as health inspected.

Please, do not buy bait fish if you have no assurances that the bait is either certified disease-free (ask to see the fish health inspection report) or taken from the body of water in which you intend to fish. NEVER use bait fish from one location for fishing later in another location. Do not dispose of fish carcasses on ANY body of water.

VHS can spread quickly and seems to affect a number of sport fishing species. Experts are not sure of all the causes of VHS, according to DEC. Right now, the disease has been confirmed only in Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and Conesus Lake in western. New York.

Refer to the DEC link above for further details; for Adirondack fishing waters, tips and resources, click on www.VisitAdirondacks.com.

Courtesy of ARTC