Aquatic Invasive Species can spread, even in winter

For some, the sub-zero weather means one exciting thing: thickening ice on the lakes! EVEN IN WINTER we need your help to stop new aquatic invasive species (AIS) from coming into new lakes.

1854 Treaty Authority has just updated our new Infested Waters list, showing all waters in the 1854 Ceded Territory that have an AIS infestation. Although there are a few new editions to the list, efforts to stop the spread of new aquatic infestations are proving to be quite successful, with less than 5% of MN waters being infested.

Here are a few things you can do to stop the spread of AIS:

• Make sure to empty all bait buckets and/or drain the bait buckets you are using. Some infectious diseases and smaller AIS have been known to hitchhike from one lake to another by travelling in contaminated bait water. Not only is this good practice, it is also the law to not transport any water from one lake to another.
• Check your ice auger and fishing gear to make sure it is clear of any vegetation. Some aquatic vegetation can stay viable during winter months and frozen temps, and survive frozen temps.
• Look at the origin of your bait. Even if it is dead or frozen, it could still be infected with exotic viruses. Verify your bait came from a “VHS free zone”  and has either been harvested from MN waters or has been preserved under a “bait preservation permit”. All legal bait will have this explicitly stated on the label.