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HARRISBURG -- The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) has announced that the Benner Spring and Pleasant Gap State Fish Hatcheries (SFHs), both located in Centre County, are operating under a special response plan following the detection of invasive New Zealand Mudsnails on hatchery premises.
During a scheduled staff training at Benner Spring SFH on May 31, New Zealand Mudsnails were detected within water supply plumbing inside a hatchery building. It is important to note that while this is the first detection of New Zealand Mudsnails in a PFBC hatchery, these snails are known to have been present since 2010 in Spring Creek, Centre County, which is adjacent to the Benner Spring facility.
The discovery at Benner Spring SFH prompted the PFBC to immediately activate the New Zealand Mudsnail Prevention, Monitoring, and Response Plan, which included suspending all transfers of fish into and out of Benner Spring until further notice. Additionally, more thorough inspections were scheduled at Benner Spring and all other state fish hatcheries and cooperative nurseries across Pennsylvania that are connected to or near waters that are known to contain New Zealand Mudsnails. During this process, New Zealand Mudsnails were detected at the Pleasant Gap SFH, which is adjacent to the Logan Branch of Spring Creek, a water also known to contain the invasive snails. Inspections at all other SFHs were negative. Four cooperative nurseries operated by volunteer conservation organizations in Northampton, Lehigh, and Franklin counties, were found to contain New Zealand Mudsnails.
While New Zealand Mudsnails were not detected in areas of the Benner Spring and Pleasant Gap SFHs which contained fish, under the response plan, immediate action was taken to enhance biosecurity measures at all SFHs and conduct a high-level risk assessment.
The PFBC also encourages anglers and boaters to inspect and disinfect their gear in between each trip, especially when moving from one water to another. Tips for disinfecting your gear can be found on the PFBC website (Fishandboat.com).