1. Decontamination Protocol
For Industrial and Construction Operations
Lisa Schaubel
Decontamination Specialist
Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch
Alberta Environment and Parks
November 16th 2018
Quagga and Zebra mussels
Threat
mussel-fouled boats intercepted at boat inspection stations, 3 from US 14 from eastern Canada
High risk watercraft are decontaminated by ASERT and Fish & Wildlife Policy AIS staff
Eurasian watermilfoil
Goldfish and Prussian carp
Confirmed in numerous stormwater and recreational ponds
Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus)
Confirmed in 12 locations throughout the province
Phragmites invasive subspecies (Phragmites australis australis)
Confirmed 2016
Whirling Disease
Confirmed
First detected in the province in August of 2016 at Johnson Lake in Banff National Park by Parks Canada
Found 2016 in multiple locations throughout the province
Bow, Oldman, Red Deer and North Saskatchewan River watersheds

2. Major provincial concerns include:
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and fish disease pose a significant risk to Alberta’s native fish species and their habitat as well as infrastructure, tourism and local communities.
Major provincial concerns include:
Threat
Quagga and Zebra mussels
Eurasian watermilfoil
Confirmed presence
Goldfish and Prussian carp
Flowering rush
Phragmites (Phragmites australis australis)
Whirling Disease
Invasive Definition -
Quagga and Zebra mussels
Threat
Distribute food chain, increase algal blooms
Eurasian watermilfoil
Reduces oxygen levels
mussel-fouled boats intercepted at boat inspection stations, 3 from US 14 from eastern Canada
High risk watercraft are decontaminated by ASERT and Fish & Wildlife Policy AIS staff
CONFIRMED
Goldfish and Prussian carp
Confirmed in numerous stormwater and recreational ponds
Competitor and predator of native fish and/or eggs
Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus)
Confirmed in 12 locations throughout the province
Interferes with shoreline habitat
Phragmites invasive subspecies (Phragmites australis australis)
Confirmed 2016
Outcompete native plants for water and nutrients
Whirling Disease
Confirmed
First detected in the province in August of 2016 at Johnson Lake in Banff National Park by Parks Canada
Found 2016 in multiple locations throughout the province
Bow, Oldman, Red Deer and North Saskatchewan River watersheds
Fish disease that affects cartilage causing spinal deformities

3. What is whirling disease?
Whirling Disease is caused by the fish parasite Myxobolus cerebralis
This parasite only affects salmonid fish like salmon, trout, and whitefish
Whirling disease does not pose a risk to human health or other wildlife.
Even if you eat infected fish
M. cerebralis parasite has a complex two-host life cycle
- Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish
Whirling disease has only been diagnosed in salmonids and is not know to impact other species of fish, wildlife or humans
1 - Myxospores are ingested by Tubifex tubifex worms, myoxospores are thought to be very hardy, they survive passage through the GI tract (pike, mallard) and are thought to be able to survive freezing and drying, although more research needs to be done to confirm their environmental tolerances.
2- Myoxospores reproduce in the gut of tubifex worms once ingested
3- The sexual or infectious stage of the spore is the TAM or triactinomyxon, they look like grappling hooks and can float in the water once expelled by worms, TAM’s are released by worms days after they initially ingest the myoxospores, infected tubificids can release triactinomyxons for at least a year after infection.
4- Fish can become infected with whirling disease by eating an infected worm or by coming in contact with TAMs, TAM’s can infect fish via contact with the skin, penetration by TAMs takes only a few seconds after initial exposure.
5 - Within five minutes, TAM’s release a sac of germ cells called a sporoplasm has entered the fish epidermis, and within a few hours, the sporoplasm splits into individual cells that will spread through the fish including the cartilage on which they feed, this can cause the clinical symptoms of whirling disease like the blackened tail, crooked tail or slopped forehead.
6 – The final stage of the lifecycle within the fish is the creation of the myxospore by the sporoplasm which are then released into the environment when a fish decomposes or is eaten.

4. Where did It come from? WD Global Distribution
Native to Europe
Introduced to US in 1950’s
Spread across 25 states
Western US 1990’s
Whirling Disease monitoring in AB
First detection in Canada in Johnson Lake, Banff 2016
Research suggests it is most commonly introduced by the movement of infected fish, via fish culture practices or anglers

5. Why does whirling disease matter?
Tubifex Worms
Why does whirling disease matter?
TAMs on Fish Fin
Alberta Fisheries are managed for:
Productive and sustainable fish populations
Fish provide economic, social and environmental benefits
Whirling disease and invasive species concerns:
Potential impacts on salmonid fish populations
No treatment options for whirling disease affected waterbodies
Potential loss of habitat by aggressive invasive
Mitigation and management could reduce the spread
Myoxospore
Myxospores are extremely tough: "it was shown that Myxobolus cerebralis spores can tolerate freezing at −20°C for at least 3 months, aging in mud at 13°C for at least 5 months, and passage through the guts of northern pike Esox lucius or mallards Anas platyrhynchos without loss of infectivity" to worms.[10] Triactinomyxons are much shorter-lived, surviving 34 days or less, depending on temperature.[11] 
Some research states spores can live for years.
Myoxospore photo courtesy of Nikolina Kovacevic, Alberta grown M. cerebralis myxospores, H&E Stain, 400X magnification
Infection rates depend on:
Fish
Young fish (<5months) are most vulnerable, with mortality rates reaching up to 90 per cent.
Depends on where and when they spawn. Fish are most vulnerable if hatch during peak release of TAMs (depend on water temp – usu. June – Sept)
Some strains of fish are more resistant than others, even within species;[13] using resistant strains may help reduce the incidence and severity of whirling disease in aquaculture. There is also some circumstantial evidence that fish populations can develop resistance to the disease over time.[29]

6. What is Alberta doing? Whirling Disease Program Informed By:
Three point plan
Distribution – where is Whirling Disease
Education – public messaging and direction to prevent spread
Mitigation – actions to reduce risk of whirling disease spreading to wild populations
Informed By:
Experts
Jurisdictional Scan
Consulted Stakeholders
The immediate objective for whirling disease management in Alberta’s wild fish populations is detection and delineation, and where possible containment.
Sampling The initial sampling program in Alberta was designed to detect and delineate the presence of whirling disease within wild trout and mountain whitefish range along the East Slopes from the Crowsnest Pass to Grande Prairie.
Sampling disease-freedom testing will occur throughout the East Slopes of Alberta. Disease-freedom testing is designed to detect M. cerebralis if present at a low prevalence. Disease-freedom testing requires extensive sampling to ensure positives are detected even if present at a low abundance in the population. Confidently making the distinction between negative and positive areas within the province will allow AEP to manage vectors of disease transfer and mitigate additional spread of the whirling disease parasite.
a stocked pond surveillance program will occur to test fish, water and sediment samples from a selection of stocked ponds in Alberta. AEP’s ability to identify and predict the location of high-risk stocked ponds on the landscape will be essential for managing the risk of spreading M. cerebralis from stocked to native populations. Unintentional transfer of M. cerebralis can occur from stocked ponds to nearby waterbodies in areas with hydrogeological connections, floodplain connectivity or high usage. As part of AEP’s surveillance program, samples will be collected from stocked ponds presumed to be positive based on the aquaculture “trace-out” to verify the parasite presence or absence in these ponds. Fish, water and sediment samples will be collected at these sites to test for all stages of the parasite throughout its lifecycle. If the parasite is found to complete its lifecycle in ponds stocked with presumptively positive fish, these waterbodies may act as hot spots for spreading and perpetuating the disease on the landscape.

7. Current Distribution - CFIA
Confirmed - Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
Red Deer River Watershed
Bow River Watershed
Oldman River Watershed
North Saskatchewan River Watershed
Whirling disease has not been detected in all water bodies and tributaries of the declared watershed. According to CFIA guidelines once whirling disease is detected in any portion of the watershed he entire watershed in declared infected.
On February 10, 2017, the CFIA declared the Bow River watershed infected with whirling disease.
On May 1, 2017, the CFIA declared the Oldman River watershed infected with whirling disease.
On June 23, 2017, the CFIA declared the Red Deer River watershed infected with whirling disease. The remainder of the province of Alberta is considered a buffer zone.
On December 22, 2017, the CFIA declared the North Saskatchewan River watershed a buffer area for whirling disease separate from the rest of Alberta that is already a buffer area. [whirling disease was detected in the NSRW but the establishment of the disease has not been confirmed in the NSRW]

8. Current Distribution – Provincial
-This is the decontamination risk zone map produced by the GoA WD program.
-The same watersheds declared infected by the CFIA are outlined on this map and the red area is places where WD has been detected, these red polygons or places are HUC’s, Hydrological Unit Codes, which are small sub-units of a watershed that can be used for management.
I’s important to remember that according to CFIA guidelines once whirling disease is detected in any portion of the watershed he entire watershed in declared infected. However Whirling disease has not been detected in all water bodies and tributaries of the declared watershed.
Alberta is not a lost cause when it comes to whirling disease, WD has not been detected in plenty of waterbodies within the CFIA declared watersheds which is why it’s so important to CDD

9. Mitigation of spread Prior During After
Decontamination primarily focussed on mussel introductions
Cleaning and disinfecting gear was a best practice
During
Early detection, Rapid Response
Emergency response initiated to determine the extent
Interim decontamination guidelines were produced by staff with specialities in fish health and disease
After
Decontamination Protocol development
Created a multi-departmental Task Team that encompassed various field staff that work in or near water including emergency response
Policy (2017) is supported by the Alberta Fisheries (Ministerial) Regulations
Prior
Decontamination primarily focussed on mussel introductions
Decontamination for mussels uses hot water wash systems (60 °C) but trained staff was limited
Clean, Drain, Dry campaign was primary decontamination but not enforced
Cleaning and disinfecting gear was a best practice
During
Extent
Interm guidelines were used during the whiling disease sampling to ensure that government staff were not vectors transporting the disease
Decontamination was mandatory for all staff collecting whirling disease samples and for all fisheries staff in southern Alberta
By Nov 2016: 11 sites confirmed within Banff, 6 in the wild with the province and 5 private aquaculture facilities
After
After the Emergency Response the a 3 part action plan was created
Distribution, Education, Mitigation
Public outreach and education efforts for Whirling Disease will be incorporated into the existing ‘Clean, Drain, Dry’ campaign, which includes boat launch signs, videos, radio PSAs, print ads, social media, presentations and attendance at boat shows and other related events.
Leaned on existing AIS staff, protocols, policy and campaigns
Decontamination Protocol was developed and accepted as Policy in AEP
Created a multi-departmental Task Team that encompassed various field staff that work in or near water including emergency response
Significant public outreach and education efforts for whirling disease incorporated the existing “Clean, Drain, Dry” campaign .
Alberta Fisheries (Ministerial) Regulations
Existing legislation, regulations and policy can be beneficial to Whirling Disease containment efforts.
In 2016, the Regulations were amended to:
Make it illegal to have the drain plug installed in a watercraft while in transport (Section 6.1)
Mandatory reporting of AIS (Section 6.2(1))
Non-release of subject water into a waterbody (Section 2.3)
Ability to specify terms and conditions on how fishing gear and equipment may be used (Section 3(1))
Mirrored with initiatives such as Pull the Plug!, Clean + Drain + Dry Your Boat and Mandatory boat Inspection stations.
Made it so that the adherence to a Decontamination Protocol could be made mandatory for any working under a government Licence, Approval or Contract

10. Decontamination Protocol
Decontamination Protocol for Watercraft and Equipment includes:
Decontamination Protocol
Risk Map
Quick Reference Guide
Equipment List
Modelling the way in preventing the spread of AIS & WD from in water work
Check it out online:
Decontamination Protocol for Watercraft and Equipment
Importance of preventing the spread of WD becomes clear when we look at lessons learned from other jurisdictions, when WD was first detected in Colorado, state fisheries workers were deployed to sample fish from waters across the state. It later became clear that the staff conducting the monitoring became a primary vector of the spread of M. cerebralis to previously uninfected waters.
Prior to WD no decon protocols in place for mitigating spread
Protocol was developed by multi-agency task team, the protocol is consistent with current standards and research.

11. Objectives of the Protocol
Provide a protocol that uses best available technologies, information and feedback from field staff and other jurisdictions.
Mandatory for all field staff working in or near water including:
Government staff
Government contractors (upcoming)
Government License and Approval holders (upcoming)
This is an update to the governments current process and supports existing provincial policy
Provide a protocol that uses best available technologies, information and feedback from field staff and other jurisdictions.
Safe, Efficient and Effective
Economically viable, sustainable and practical
Minimize harm to the environment
Minimize deleterious effects on equipment
Focussed on whirling disease but principles work for all AIS
The Decontamination Protocol for Watercraft and Equipment became policy and mandatory for all government staff and contractors working in or near water and soon be mandatory industry and stakeholders to complete when working with approvals under then Water Act, Public Lands Act, AER and Fisheries Research Licences as well as Government contracts, including those with Alberta Transportation. Upcoming will be work being completed in Provincial Parks and with Wildlife collection permits
We started the implementation The Government of Alberta staff are held to a higher standard and must model the desired behaviours.
The Protocol provides a necessary measures to ensure there is not inadvertent spreading of whirling disease in provincial waters.

12. Decontamination Protocol Upcoming additions
Decontamination Instructions for Industrial and Construction Operations
Provides users detailed instructions on how to meet the intent of the Protocol
Decontamination level required is dependent on the risk zone where the work is completed
Decontamination Record
A template to document and track the decontamination completed prior or after work in or near water.

13. Decontamination Protocol Upcoming Conditions
Drafted Condition example:
Disposition Holder must follow the Decontamination Instructions for Industrial Operations in the “Decontamination Protocol for Watercraft and Equipment”, as amended from time to time, for all equipment that are used within the bed of a watercourse or waterbody:
prior to operations;
during operations when moving across a HUC 6 watershed boundary indicated on the “Decontamination Risk Map” or the “Hydrological Unit Code Level 6 (HUC 6) Shape File” and
upon the completion of operations.
The Disposition Holder must provide a completed Decontamination Record form as decontamination to the regulatory body upon request.

14. Use - Risk zone
Incorporates 3 levels of decontamination dependent on the risk of spread
Coded geographically across province
Low risk = White zone
Medium risk = Yellow zone
Red zone = High risk
Zones delineated by Hydrological Unit Codes (HUC)
HUC boundaries indicate when decontamination is necessary
Represent watershed boundaries (blue lines)
HUC size used based on risk and natural movement
Decontamination must be completed when changing risk zone or crossing a HUC boundary
White zone: Reduced risk of introduction: Waters with no fish susceptible to Whirling Disease; No known high profile AIS or fish disease present; or low activity/use
Yellow zone: Moderate-High risk: Waters susceptible to AIS or fish disease; high activity/use; or close to high population bases
Red zone: High risk: fish disease or AIS present
Based on 2016 and 2017 wild sample results and samples from irrigation cannels
HUC
Hierarchal from 2 to 12
White & Yellow = HUC 6
Red = HUC 10 or 12

15. Use – Instructions Section 1 Section 2
Preventative measures to reduce the risk of spreading disease and invasive
Measures to reduce the decontamination required
Section 2
Decontamination methods and flow chart
Level 1: Clean, Drain, Dry
Level 3: Decontamination hub

16. Use – Instructions

17. Use – Levels Level 1 Level 3 Hierarchal from 2 to 12 Location
Field site
Clean, Drain, Dry
Clean off ALL organic debris, mud, sediment and fish parts by scrubbing or with pressurized water
Drain all native water from equipment
Dry all wet areas
Level 3
Location
Decontamination hub: Secure space without drainage
Treatment
90 °C for 10 minutes – steam, spray, submerge
-20 °C for 7 days
Disinfection treatment – bleach or QAC
Rinse thoroughly
Dry
Equipment
Steam or hot wash system
Disinfectant at proper concentration
White zone: Reduced risk of introduction: Waters with no fish susceptible to Whirling Disease; No known high profile AIS or fish disease present; or low activity/use
Yellow zone: Moderate-High risk: Waters susceptible to AIS or fish disease; high activity/use; or close to high population bases
Red zone: High risk: fish disease or AIS present
Based on 2016 and 2017 wild sample results and samples from irrigation cannels
HUC
Hierarchal from 2 to 12
White & Yellow = HUC 6
Red = HUC 10 or 12

18. What would you need to do?
Example
Warehouse compound in Airdrie
Work being completed here
What would you need to do?
Level 1 at site,
Level 3 at staging area or designated site in compound
Complete Decontamination Record

19. What would you need to do?
Example
Secondary work site here
Initial work being completed here
What would you need to do?
Level 1 at site,
Level 3 prior to crossing the HUC boundary
Complete Decontamination Record

20. What would you need to do?
Example
Initial work being completed here
Secondary work site here
What would you need to do?
Level 1 only at site prior to movement (Within the same HUC boundary).
Complete Decontamination Record

21. Thank you. Lisa Schaubel Decontamination Specialist
Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch
Alberta Environment and Parks