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06-16-2023, 02:49 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 1,796
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There is hope in the Whirling Disease issue
Folks,
Colorado seems to have developed a strain of rainbows resistant to Whirling Disease (WD).
https://coloradosun.com/2020/06/04/c...rling-disease/
Don
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06-16-2023, 11:26 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 10,230
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What is the hope?
To stock these genetically altered fish into Alberta waters, or something else?
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Alberta Fish and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Policy -
"to identify very rare, scarce or special forms of fish and wildlife outdoor recreation opportunities and to ensure that access to these opportunities continues to be available to all Albertans."
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06-16-2023, 07:04 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 1,796
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Well,
When the rainbow trout who are not native are gone, perhaps these might replace them.
Of course, the Athabaska Rainbow, who are native, should be preserved at all costs.
Don
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06-16-2023, 11:31 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 10,230
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Or, don't introduce any more non-native fish to our flowing waters?
Let the native fishes refill the ecospace?
Will these Colorado fish do well here?
Shall we start the experimenting again?
Or should we grow our own WD resistant rainbows cutthroat and whitefish $ from local waters, save as much of the local genetics as possible?
__________________
Alberta Fish and Wildlife Outdoor Recreation Policy -
"to identify very rare, scarce or special forms of fish and wildlife outdoor recreation opportunities and to ensure that access to these opportunities continues to be available to all Albertans."
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06-17-2023, 07:00 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 2,672
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Good article thanks for posting it. Unfortunately there are only two species of trout that Alberta will support and Rainbows are no tone of them. Cutthroat Trout which I love, and Bull trout that are an eating factory in Cutthroat streams (am I the only one that sees the irony?),
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but never, with a fly rod in my hand have I been in a place that was less than beautiful.
My blog - casting on the waters
fishing regulations and facts on fish handling
Fishing Regulations
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06-17-2023, 09:24 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,493
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Would rather see more effort put into bull trout, grayling, and browns that are more resilient to WD than import over priced rainbows
As for bulls eating cutthroat when you consider the availability of bull trout fisheries and populations in North America we should be happy to have healthy bull trout populations eating some cutthroat as many areas no longer have them.
Plus bulls are far more fun to catch and are larger on average
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06-23-2023, 10:05 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 1,796
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Smoky buck
Would rather see more effort put into bull trout, grayling, and browns that are more resilient to WD than import over priced rainbows
As for bulls eating cutthroat when you consider the availability of bull trout fisheries and populations in North America we should be happy to have healthy bull trout populations eating some cutthroat as many areas no longer have them.
Plus bulls are far more fun to catch and are larger on average
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And whereBulls are now viable, I agree. But along came a bunch of hydro dams and away went the Bulls. So…..
Don
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06-23-2023, 10:09 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,493
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andersen
And whereBulls are now viable, I agree. But along came a bunch of hydro dams and away went the Bulls. So…..
Don
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Lots of factors involved in the loss of bull trout populations but everything in my post still stands
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06-28-2023, 05:24 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 1,796
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Smoky buck
Lots of factors involved in the loss of bull trout populations but everything in my post still stands
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The rainbows in the Madison fell to 10% of their historic numbers when WD showed up. A small side creek, I’ve read, had a population of rainbows that were somewhat resistant to WD. These repopulated the river. Took 30 years to get to 90% of per-WD levels.
Where this experience is different than AlBerta:
1) the source water was cones from a Federally Protected land in Yellowstone Park.
2) there is very little cattle grazing along the river
3) there are no mines or mine exploration in the headwaters
4) there is no Recreational !and destruction (quads) allowed.
5) there is no villages of RV’s along the river with frying pans at ready
So, if you wait 50+ years w/o any effort taken, you MIGHT recover somewhat.
The Province doing nothing has got us Whirling Disease, Chronic Wasting, Asian Carp, invasives everywhere.
Just so you know, the Rainbows from Germany (Hofer) were exported to Germany, the ones that survived have some resistance to WD. These started in the USA and now are returning.
Of course, sitting, doing nothing has been the operating standard in Alberta for 50 years and it shows.
Don
Last edited by Don Andersen; 06-28-2023 at 05:33 PM.
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06-28-2023, 06:00 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,493
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andersen
The rainbows in the Madison fell to 10% of their historic numbers when WD showed up. A small side creek, I’ve read, had a population of rainbows that were somewhat resistant to WD. These repopulated the river. Took 30 years to get to 90% of per-WD levels.
Where this experience is different than AlBerta:
1) the source water was cones from a Federally Protected land in Yellowstone Park.
2) there is very little cattle grazing along the river
3) there are no mines or mine exploration in the headwaters
4) there is no Recreational !and destruction (quads) allowed.
5) there is no villages of RV’s along the river with frying pans at ready
So, if you wait 50+ years w/o any effort taken, you MIGHT recover somewhat.
The Province doing nothing has got us Whirling Disease, Chronic Wasting, Asian Carp, invasives everywhere.
Just so you know, the Rainbows from Germany (Hofer) were exported to Germany, the ones that survived have some resistance to WD. These started in the USA and now are returning.
Of course, sitting, doing nothing has been the operating standard in Alberta for 50 years and it shows.
Don
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Read my post again I didn’t say do nothing but instead do something different than your post suggested
As for Rainbows I know a little more than you probably realize about the species but continue your education. I was only a Chairman for the freshwater aquaculture industry in B.C. for a period and one of the top producers of rainbow trout
First tip there is strains present in Canada that are resistant to WD but they are in the private sector
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06-29-2023, 07:21 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 1,796
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Smoky buck
Read my post again I didn’t say do nothing but instead do something different than your post suggested
As for Rainbows I know a little more than you probably realize about the species but continue your education. I was only a Chairman for the freshwater aquaculture industry in B.C. for a period and one of the top producers of rainbow trout
First tip there is strains present in Canada that are resistant to WD but they are in the private sector
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I done.
Sitting and watching the decline.
Don
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06-29-2023, 07:47 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,493
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andersen
I done.
Sitting and watching the decline.
Don
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Well get at it then
Complaining here won’t help
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06-30-2023, 03:32 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 1,796
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Smoky buck
Well get at it then
Complaining here won’t help
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Now that is the truth.
Don
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07-03-2023, 08:49 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,909
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What stops the province from releasing some whirling disease resistant rainbows into the Crow and Bow and let nature infuse the genetics naturally?
Seems simple and cheap. Stocking truck with fish get import permit. Drive and dump where requested. Biggest cost will be delivery but lakes in Calgary used to get trout deliveries from the US.
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It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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07-04-2023, 08:36 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 1,796
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundancefisher
What stops the province from releasing some whirling disease resistant rainbows into the Crow and Bow and let nature infuse the genetics naturally?
Seems simple and cheap. Stocking truck with fish get import permit. Drive and dump where requested. Biggest cost will be delivery but lakes in Calgary used to get trout deliveries from the US.
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Nothing to prevent it. However, just think, here is the opportunity to remove rainbows. Disease will do it.
The cuts will rejoice!
Don
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07-04-2023, 08:45 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Calgary Perchdance
Posts: 18,909
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andersen
Nothing to prevent it. However, just think, here is the opportunity to remove rainbows. Disease will do it.
The cuts will rejoice!
Don
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Are cutts that resistant?
__________________
It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Charles Darwin
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07-18-2023, 06:29 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2023
Posts: 4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Andersen
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I really appreciate you posting this Don as this does represent a possible strategy to mitigating whirling disease. I do know this has been a long process for Colorado and that the original strain they stocked which was half Hofer (German) and half Colorado River (very susceptible), didn't have much success and wasn't a very good angling fish.
However, they found a native strain (Harrison Lake) that was actually already somewhat resistant to whirling disease and combined it with the Hofer strain and they found much more success. Here is a link of their most recent publication on the matter: https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley....002/nafm.10878
I can also tell you that the now deconstructed Whirling Disease Program with AB submitted genetic tissue of many different wild Rainbow and Cutthroat populations in AB to the U of A who are currently examining if we have any naturalized populations with more resistance to the disease. So there may be an avenue there.
Anyways, thank you for sharing!
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07-18-2023, 06:31 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2023
Posts: 4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundancefisher
Are cutts that resistant?
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Typically cutthroats are slightly less susceptible than rainbows but they can still be devastated by the disease and Colorado lost a good many cutthroat populations as well.
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