OAR 635-007-0990: Inspection and Detection of Disease Agents at Non-Department Facilities

(1) No person may import, export, release, or transfer live fish or fish eggs in Oregon without a Fish Transport Permit issued pursuant to OAR 635-007-0600. (2) Except as provided in section (3) of this rule, any group of live fish or eggs found to have been imported into or transferred within Oregon without a Fish Transport Permit is subject to seizure and destruction by the Department. (3) The Department, in its discretion, may direct the Facility Manager to undertake immediate steps to obtain proper, up-to-date fish health examinations from the original source of fish or eggs, and to have fish inspected for fish disease agents by a fish health specialist acceptable to the Department. Such fish or eggs must not be released or moved to any other facility until the owner has obtained a completed disease examination report from the fish health specialist. The Facility Manager is responsible for the costs of the inspection required by this rule. (4) Except for fish reared for release under a private salmon hatchery permit pursuant to ORS 508.700, before importing any fish the Facility Manager must obtain an annual health examination of broodstock from which fish are to be imported and a copy of relevant fish health examinations of the lot of fish to be imported. If a facility has not previously exported fish to Oregon, the Facility Manager must also obtain a five-year fish-health history of stocks held at the facility and a description of the water supply source. Examinations for IHNV, IPNV, and VHSV must be conducted for salmonid broodstock. An examination for Myxobolus cerebralis, as described in section (5) of this rule, must also be conducted on salmonid fish. Depending on the fish species, examinations for culturable viruses and specific bacterial and parasitic agents must be conducted for non-salmonid broodstock. The above-listed examinations must be performed by a fish health specialist acceptable to the Department. However, the Department may issue a Fish Transport Permit to import live fish into this state without the examination report if the Department finds: (a) The fish eggs or larvae would mature to a stage at which they cannot be safely transported before a disease examination could take place or results are complete; and (b) The fish or eggs are held in a facility approved by the Department until the permit holder can obtain a completed disease examination report. (5) Examinations for Myxobolus cerebralis, agent of whirling disease, must be conducted regularly on 60 juvenile fish held for a minimum of 180 days at each facility, either annually for facilities in endemic regions or those that export fish or eggs out of state, or every three years in non-endemic regions without a history of M. cerebralis detection. In cases where multiple water supplies exist, fish reared in each susceptible water supply must be sampled. (6) Fish Health Services must maintain a database of fish health examination results. (7) Any fish found to be infected with a disease agent that the Department determines may adversely affect the health of the fish of this state must be treated or destroyed at the Facility Manager’s expense as directed by the Department or may be sold for human consumption, if appropriate. (8) If fish loss exceeds 0.1 percent per day over five consecutive days in any rearing or incubation container, the Facility Manager, Facility Permittee, or Fish Propagation Licensee must: (a) Have an examination promptly performed on live and dead fish from each pond of concern by a fish health specialist acceptable to the Department and, if required by the Department, from the entire facility. (b) Notify in writing by E-mail, fax, or equivalent means the Department’s Fish Division at its Headquarters and Fish Health Services laboratories in Corvallis, Clackamas and La Grande of the location, extent, and probable cause of such losses and provide written documentation of a treatment regimen planned to control the fish disease; and (c) Provide Fish Health Services a copy of the disease examination record within seven business days after completion of appropriate tests. (9) Failure to comply with these rules is grounds for the revocation of any Fish Propagation License, Cooperative Salmon Hatchery Agreement, or Fish Transport Permit.