Outreach Campaign
An education and outreach campaign is underway in an effort to slow and/or prevent the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) from the Great Lakes areas into other waterways or aquaculture facilities. The 'Focus on Fish Health' campaign began in 2007, through funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
The report of VHS in inland waters in Michigan, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin highlighted the need to for not only regulatory actions, but also a public education campaign, since evidence indicates that the spread of VHS into inland water bodies may be due to recreational fishing activities. Therefore, successful control of VHS and its spread will involved help from the fishing and boating public as well as regulatory actions.
This website is part of the campaign and was design as a clearinghouse of available resources on VHS and its prevention as well as a means to provide the latest information about viral hemorrhagic septicemia and its prevention.
VHS Educational Alliance
The campaign is drawing upon the extensive expertise of a number of groups with established networks within the recreational fishing and boating communities to help develop and implement the Focus on Fish Health campaign. APHIS brought together this voluntary group of stakeholders which has informally been designated the 'VHS Education Alliance'. Select the link below for more information on the VHS Educational Alliance and its members.
Advertising Campaign
Advertisements with information about VHS and what individuals can do to mitigate the spread of the disease have also been printed in numerous trade magazines with regional and national exposure.
Publications included:
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USDA Focus On Fish Health Advertisement Campaign 2009. |
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There's Nothing Fishy About Healthy Fish Color Advertisement. |
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There's Nothing Fishy About Healthy Fish Black and White Advertisement. |
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VHS Wallet Card |