July 13
Hello
Sockeye appear to be doing very well from the Columbia River to Alaska! Even the Fraser forecast is cautiously optimistic. If we get a good run back to the Fraser we will know the river and the ocean are still functioning, whatever has happened to all the other year classes, is something else.
The new proposed Pacific Aquaculture Regulations have been posted to the Canada Gazette website at for a 60-day public review period. The contact is Ed Porter, PAR-RPA@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Each licence under this new regime will vary site to site and the diseases they have to report and the amount of wild fish they can catch in their pens will vary. This is disturbing. I hope may of you will take the opportunity to comment that salmon feedlots in the ocean need to report all their disease outbreaks.
This is an article from today on a new salmon feedlot disease in the Atlantic. They report over 400 outbreaks in 11 years and it is now in the wild. Scientists just identified the virus as HSMI and it is generally fatal to fish. Obviously, the eggs imported to BC have not been checked for this virus. Will there be a response from our Minister of Fisheries on how we can be sure this has not spread here?
I just published this article on the secrecy of salmon feedlot disease outbreaks in BC.
The Cohen Inquiry is a massive undertaking. We have requested salmon feedlot disease outbreak information so it can be examined in relationship to the declining Fraser sockeye productivity. Hopefully they will comply. DFO genetic research is reporting that Fraser sockeye are being strongly challenged by a virus, but they do not know which virus yet.
You can follow this work at Salmonaresacred.org
Alexandra Morton
