North Central Regional Aquaculture Center Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Project

When VHS entered the Great Lakes the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center funded a multifaceted project to help manage and prevent the spread of this fish disease in the region. The project scope included a safety and efficacy study of iodine disinfection on walleye, northern pike, and hybrid striped bass eggs infected with VHS. Prepare and electronically disseminate a VHS “response” packet that specifically targets fish farm producers.  Conduct a series of biosecurity workshops held at different fish farms across the region, targeting different production systems. Utilize the existing Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Training Curriculum to develop specific fish disease HACCP plans for each of the facilities involved in the workshops. Develop and distribute three model fish disease HACCP plans. Produce a fish farm biosecurity video that incorporates different system types and footage shot at the workshops and distribute this video to end users via DVD and internet streaming videos.