The diagnosis of the European strain of ISA virus in 2 young Rivers Inlet sockeye has sparked very different responses from the US, First Nations, the Province and Canada. Both the US and Canada have Atlantic salmon farms and both have wild salmon.
In the US three senators introduced a Bill to the Senate to investigate what they are calling a "Canadian salmon virus" because it poses a threat to coastal economies and wild salmon. press release
The Union of BC Indian Chiefs states: "It is time to do away with fish farms." Download UBCICPress_ISA_102011.pdf (137.8K)
The Provincial Government made the accusation that the original samples that tested positive had been destroyed:
Hon. D. McRae: Well, we've got another example of spinning media headlines and fearmongering from the opposition.
The reality is this. The lab results were sent to PEI. They were sent to PEI. They were not following protocol when, instead of actually contacting CFIA, they went directly to SFU, which in turn went to the media.
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When CFIA then, in turn, said, "We'd like to do our test samples," and said, "We'd like to test the fish," well, unfortunately, I'm advised that the tested-positive results at the PEI lab were destroyed, and therefore, not available to CFIA.
HSE - 20111019 PM 010/hbw/1415
turn, says, "We would like to do our test samples," and said, "We'd like to test the fish," well, unfortunately, I'm advised that the tested positive results at the P.E.I. lab were destroyed and, therefore, not available to CFIA.
In the House of Commons the Minister of Fisheries gave a non-answer:
Mr. Fin Donnelly (New Westminster—Coquitlam, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, infectious salmon anemia has been diagnosed in sockeye smolts in the Pacific. This is the same virus that infected and wiped out almost 70% of farmed salmon in Chile.
We do not know the long-term effects on wild salmon or how long this virus has been present in the Pacific waters. What is the government doing to investigate this serious threat to our salmon fishery?
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Hon. Keith Ashfield (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of salmon for British Columbia economically, historically and culturally. That is why the Prime Minister established the Cohen Commission of Inquiry in 2009. I encourage the member to support the work of Justice Cohen and the Cohen Commission.
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Mr. Fin Donnelly (New Westminster—Coquitlam, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, the government's silence on fisheries is deafening. Instead of providing answers, there is no communication from the department and scientists remain muzzled. Conservatives are gutting the DFO and cutting funding to fisheries conservation councils. Their policy seems to be “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” and they hope these problems go away. They will not.
When will the minister agree to a full and transparent investigation of this serious issue and threat to our fisheries?
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Hon. Keith Ashfield (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, a strategic review was an opportunity for the department to assess performance of its programs. It also allowed us to ensure that we were responding to the priorities of Canadians. We have the responsibility to spend taxpayer money prudently and where it will do the most good. We must ensure that government programs are efficient, effective and achieving the expected results of Canadians.
DFO is making steady progress in modernizing and improving our program and policy approach to meet the needs of Canadians today and in the future.
Just for the record; the Cohen Commission hearings are closed now and so if Justice Cohen is going to consider the report of the European strain of ISAV by the internationally appointed ISAV reference lab, as the Minister of Fisheries seems to suggest, the Inquiry would have to be re-opened.
Regarding what the Provincial Minister of Agriculture and Lands said about the samples being destroyed, that is not the case. The original 48 fish that were tested and the other fish taken at approximately the same time from Rivers Inlet were provided to the Federal Canadian Food Inspection Agency as per their request.
I don't know what to say about the response by our highest levels of government, to diagnosis by the World Animal Health Organization Lab reference lab for ISA virus but here is what I think needs to be done.
1. Rivers Inlet sockeye smolts in the lakes right now need to be tested for the ISA virus.
2. We need to see the provincial salmon farm vet records on the tests he did for this virus in the Atlantic farm salmon to find out if it was the same test as found the virus in the sockeye. There are many types of PCRs that can be done on different segments of this virus. Did he use the same tests as the reference lab?
3. We need to sequence the DNA of the ISA virus found in the sockeye and see how long it has been in BC and what strain of Atlantic salmon it came from.
4. There needs to be an emergency World Organisation for Animal Health lab set up in BC to conduct widespread testing of farm and wild salmon and herring, so we can better understand how to deal with this.
The Canadian and Provincial government response is not useful and is wasting precious time. It seems pretty straight forward to me. If you care about wild salmon, you need to pressure your government reps everyday to move past the deny, delay tactics they have made to date and figure out how widespread ISA virus is, and turn off the source.
This discovery of ISA virus is an international disease event on two counts, 1 - it was found in a new species, and 2 - it was found in a new location.
This is a highly successful virus, if we are going to stop it from spreading, as it ash done in every other country we have to BE REALLY SMART about this! The response above of the two ministers responsible is nothing short of tragic. The lab that made the diagnosis in BC was the same lab as made the diagnosis in Chile in 2007 - and in that case ISAV went on to kill millions of salmon.
Email Fisheries Minister Ashfield
