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| Many stripers in RI have skin lesions like the one pictured here that I landed last week. I'm pretty sure this is not myco disease, but use caution when handling fish that look like this. |
Many of us have noticed a high percentage of stripers in RI waters with skin lesions this fall. In fact, a few weeks back, roughly 50 percent of the stripers I was catching had these skin lesions. At first, I thought this could be myco disease. I've read about this disease (mycobacteriosis) that affects many stripers in southern waters. It can be deadly once stripers catch it. It can also cause infections in humans if you are handling the infected fish and have cuts or abrasions on your hands.
But, myco disease is rare in northern waters, I found an article in On the Water Magazine that outlines a study that the MA Division of Marine Fisheries did back in 2012 when a high incidence of stripers with skin lesions were being caught in MA waters. Biologists determined this was not myco, but rather a skin infection that was likely due to high spring and summer water temperatures which is exactly what we had this year. A photo of a fish in the magazine article was very similar to the photo of the fish I landed last week.
So, I don't believe these RI fish have myco disease. Still, I would advise caution when handling stripers with skin lesions. Consider wearing gloves to unhook such fish. And, if you are taking one of these fish home to eat, cooking it properly is advised by the experts.
