The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has declared the Bow River watershed infected with whirling disease and the province of Alberta a buffer zone.

The CFIA's announcement covers all streams, creeks, lakes and rivers that feed into the Bow.  

Airdrie pro fisherman Wes David says the disease gets it's name from the way fish with it swim in a corkscrew, spinning pattern.  

The disease isn't new, according to David.  "The U.S. has been dealing with it since the 1950's and New Zealand since the 1970's.  In Colorado they've been dealing with it in 13 of the 15 major river systems since the '50's.  How it's transferred between water bodies is through water fowl.  They eat vegetation that the parasite is on and transfer it through their waste."

The CFIA says there is no danger to human health from whirling disease.  People can use the water bodies and eat infected fish without risk.  David says only salmonoid species are affected.  In Alberta that includes rainbow, westslope, cutthroat and brook trout as well as mountain whitefish.

David says once you have whirling disease in a watershed, it's virtually impossible to eradicate, but fishermen and other outdoor people are the right ones to make sure it isn't spread.  "Outdoorsmen and women are some of the best conservation minded people out there and they'll do what they have to to try and fix the problem."  

Keeping your equipment clean can prevent cross contamination.  David encourages anglers, "If you fish a river system or water body of any kind, wash down your equipment really well, your waders, your boots, even your fishing rod, anything that has touched the water."

David doesn't believe the disease will have much impact on the fishing industry on the Bow.  "Alberta's known for it's world class trout fishing.  People like Kevin Costner and Tim Allen can fish anywhere they want in the world and every year they come and fish the Bow River which is literally in our back yard."

 

Questions, comments or story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com