Lethal Atlantic salmon virus found on the West Coast

[Tonington]

At work today this spawned a lot of conversation.

For some context, the virus is a flu-like virus that causes a disease called Infectious Salmon Anemia. In Atlantic salmon populations this virus can cause massive mortality, greater than 70%, all the way up to 100% in naive (having no antibodies for the antigen) fish. It's virulence is comparable to the mortality in bird populations caused by avian influenza. Salmon production in Chile was decimated by this disease in the past decade, and is now recovering.

The issue here is that the fish which tested positive were sockeye smolts, two out of forty-eight fish tested positive. Now, the usual suspects like Dr. Alexandra Morton are crusading calling for the complete shutdown of all Atlantic salmon farms. First of all, the animals that tested positive weren't even clinically diseased...they were showing symptoms of poor health, but ISA causes lesions, reduced red blood cell counts, coma and death. Second, the smolts were returning to the ocean, 100 miles from the nearest salmon farm. The returning adults would not have passed by the farms to the south.

To make matters worse, Dr. Routledge is calling the farmed salmon the most likely source, despite literally thousands of samples the BC farmers have tested and all have come up negative for the ISA antigen. Now before anyone get's all conspiracy minded about farmers not using robust tests, keep in mind that the farms in BC have a value of over $800 million. Suppressing positive results could end up costing the farms literally tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars. That's a huge risk. To be fair, the ISA strain they detected was a European strain, and it was a European strain that was introduced to Chile through the eggs. BC farmers have also imported eggs from Europe, but, and this is a big but, there has been no disease in BC hatcheries or cage sites. It's implausible that the virus could come over on Atlantic salmon eggs, and not infect the Atlantic salmon, but transmit to Pacific salmon. Atlantic salmon are highly susceptible to this disease, whereas the Pacific salmons are not.

This finding deserves attention, and work will be done now to discover the source of the virus. The virus can infect herring, a source that the usual suspects have failed to even mention as a possibility, and Chile shares the same ocean as BC...

Here's a link to one of the atrocious media reports:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/science/18salmon.html?_r=1

This one is particularly bad, it says there is no treatment or vaccine, well I must be working with a fake licensed product at work! :lol:

 

[Tonington]

An update from the American Veterinary Medical Associations newsletter, AquaVetMed:

British Columbia, Canada - The following information was provided by Paul Kitching (British Columbia Provincial Veterinarian, Ministry of Agriculture) and Gary Marty (British Columbia Provincial Fish Pathologist) regarding the recent Infectious Salmon Anemia PCR test results from wild sockeye salmon in British Columbia (Canada), and some recent press releases and news stories.

1. Results from a laboratory in Prince Edward Island, Canada, were positive for Infectious Salmon Anaemia Virus (ISAV) nucleic acid in two wild sockeye salmon smolts out of 48 tested. The fish were not showing any clinical signs consistent with ISA (the diseases caused by ISAV). Therefore, these are positive PCR test results only; they do not confirm that the fish had ISA.
2. The tests indicated a European strain of ISAV, and European strains of ISAV have also been identified in farmed Atlantic salmon in Chile.
3. The test used, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is extremely sensitive, and because contamination of samples within the laboratory can occur, the PCR result by itself is not conclusive (i.e., we need confirmatory tests to determine whether the original PCR test results are false positives or true positives). The OIE (World Animal Health Organization) always requires additional evidence such as laboratory isolation and growth of the virus, or clear evidence of clinical disease in animals (in this case fish) from which the positive sample is taken.
4. Therefore, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will probably not report the initial PCR results to OIE until at least one of these two other criteria (virus culture or evidence of disease) are fulfilled.
5. From 2003 - 2010, the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture operated a scientifically designed Fish Health Auditing and Surveillance Program that tested farmed salmon in BC. This program examined freshly dead fish on the farms for evidence of disease, including ISA. During this time, 4,726 fish were sampled and tested for ISAV. Using a highly specific and sensitive PCR test, all samples were negative for ISAV--no virus. The program is now operated by the Canadian Federal government, and results from farm fish continue to be negative--no virus.
6. All published evidence suggests that Pacific salmon are resistant to ISA virus infection; controlled laboratory studies have not been done with sockeye salmon and ISAV, but Pacific salmon species tend to respond similarly to fish diseases.
7. The follow-up investigation being conducted by CFIA might take longer than 6 weeks.
8. Every year Chile produces more coho salmon (originally derived from wild BC stocks) than the total annual farm fish production in British Columbia (which is >90% Atlantic salmon). When Chile had an outbreak of highly pathogenic ISA in 2008, in some cases coho salmon were reared in pens adjacent to infected Atlantic salmon. Thousands of Chilean coho salmon were tested for ISAV over the past 3 years, and all samples were negative for ISAV. This provides strong evidence that coho salmon are highly resistant to ISAV, and a reasonable hypothesis is that sockeye salmon are similarly resistant.
9. The PCR tests were done in a laboratory that is a designated OIE reference laboratory. However, OIE has no responsibility for the quality of the work, and makes no financial contribution to the running of the laboratory. OIE has no laboratories of its own, so the test was not "carried out by OIE". A positive PCR by itself is not sufficient, by the OIE's own definition, to say that either the virus or disease is present in BC. The laboratory in PEI, even though it is an OIE reference laboratory, has responsibility to report a positive ISA result to the Canadian OIE representative: the Canadian Chief Veterinary Officer, Brian Evans. Dr. Evans would then report a positive case to OIE. At this stage we do not have a positive case for OIE reporting purposes.

 

[CDNBear]

We just had a 6000+ die off of Ducks, on Georgian Bay. Something to do with Zebra Mussels and botulism.

http://www.nationalpost.com/dead+birds+just+beginning/5595546/story.html

 

[Tonington]

We just had a 6000+ die off of Ducks, on Georgian Bay. Something to do with Zebra Mussels and botulism.

That's quite a few ducks! Botulism ehh? That reminds me of something I read today:

OTTAWA, October 25, 2011 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Mannarich Food Inc. are warning the public not to consume the vacuum-packed, refrigerated, ready-to-eat processed fish products described below because these products may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Toxins produced by these bacteria may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Health Hazard Alert - Certain Vacuum-Packaged, Refrigerated, Ready-to-Eat Fish Products may Contain Dangerous Bacteria

Oh yes, and it's a voluntary recall, thank you very much neutered CFIA...

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Farmed fish taste like crap too, they are mushy.

Inland farming on land is the way to go, away from real fish.

 

[Tonington]

It's not looking good for the environmentalists spinning this story like mad. The samples from those fish that tested positive for ISA were sent to a reference lab in Norway. Of the two that tested positive at AVC, only one of them tested positive, in 1 of 33 tests.

Looks like it could be false positives. PCR is a very powerful tool, but it can be confounded by similar sequences, depending on how specific the primers are for the DNA/RNA amplification.
More results create more questions for suspect ISA findings | British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association, BCSFA, BC salmon farming trade association

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

CFIA, protect food and health, or corporations, they like to go for the latter these days.

 

[Tonington]

CFIA, protect food and health, or corporations, they like to go for the latter these days.

Eating a fish with ISA won't do anything to you...it's a fish virus.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Eating a fish with ISA won't do anything to you...it's a fish virus.

But it'll still taste mushy, virus or not.

Seems a problem they might kill normal wild fish. The frankenfish ought to be farmed on land. Like the oceans and nature don't have enough problems.

 

[bill barilko]

ISA is all over the Chilean product-how it developed no one there knows or wants to know.

What we do know is that everywhere on earth net pens have been used to raise Salmon there are now fewer wild fish.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

ISA is all over the Chilean product-how it developed no one there knows or wants to know.

What we do know is that everywhere on earth net pens have been used to raise Salmon there are now fewer wild fish.

Those salmon use the sea beneath them as a toilet, that doesn't seem too healthy, and it's not. It's a poorly managed industry.

 

[Tonington]

But it'll still taste mushy, virus or not.

Ok, but your rant about CFIA is without merit. Moving on then...

ISA is all over the Chilean product-how it developed no one there knows or wants to know.

What we do know is that everywhere on earth net pens have been used to raise Salmon there are now fewer wild fish.

We know exactly how it got into Chile, it came on eggs imported from Norway.

All over the planet where there are no net pens to raise salmon, there are fewer fish. You're confusing correlations with causation.

Those salmon use the sea beneath them as a toilet, that doesn't seem too healthy, and it's not. It's a poorly managed industry.

All salmon use the sea beneath them as a toilet...what matters is how wide the waste is dispersed. That means for farms that they shouldn't be placed anywhere where the tidal flushing is low. You call it a poorly managed industry, but it's using less wild ocean resources while terrestrial farming actually adds more. It uses less anti-biotics than any other animal industry, and the amount continues to decline. It's a newer industry, not a poorly managed industry. The learning curve is steep.

As for ocean impacts, land isn't the way to go. You need to pump salt water in-land over distances. Put the contained walls in the water. Much better. Google "Agri-Marine"

 

[bill barilko]

Ok, but your rant about CFIA is without merit. Moving on then...We know exactly how it got into Chile, it came on eggs imported from Norway.

The same eggs now being imported into BC?

All over the planet where there are no net pens to raise salmon, there are fewer fish. You're confusing correlations with causation.

Not true at all in Alaska where there are no pens-Sorry to be the agent of your disillusionment.

All salmon use the sea beneath them as a toilet...what matters is how wide the waste is dispersed. That means for farms that they shouldn't be placed anywhere where the tidal flushing is low.

In theory but in fact deep water farms are too expensive to construct & maintain been tried a few times here in BC.

As for ocean impacts, land isn't the way to go. You need to pump salt water in-land over distances. Put the contained walls in the water. Much better. Google "Agri-Marine"

Again not true- Click Here to educate yourself as to the state of the industry

I'm sure you mean well in your own way but you're embarrassing yourself by posting Salmon feedlot propaganda

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Ok, but your rant about CFIA is without merit. Moving on then...



We know exactly how it got into Chile, it came on eggs imported from Norway.

All over the planet where there are no net pens to raise salmon, there are fewer fish. You're confusing correlations with causation.



All salmon use the sea beneath them as a toilet...what matters is how wide the waste is dispersed. That means for farms that they shouldn't be placed anywhere where the tidal flushing is low. You call it a poorly managed industry, but it's using less wild ocean resources while terrestrial farming actually adds more. It uses less anti-biotics than any other animal industry, and the amount continues to decline. It's a newer industry, not a poorly managed industry. The learning curve is steep.

As for ocean impacts, land isn't the way to go. You need to pump salt water in-land over distances. Put the contained walls in the water. Much better. Google "Agri-Marine"

Wild fish don't need any antibiotics and they don't need to be supplied with feed. Farmed fish feed is often herring scooped up by giant trawlers scraping the ocean floor. It's a junk industry.

The CFIA has been defanged so like the DFO, it's a fish farm flunky. DFO and sea lice, never heard of each other. Farmed salmon cause sea lice.

 

[Tonington]

Wild fish don't need any antibiotics and they don't need to be supplied with feed. Farmed fish feed is often herring scooped up by giant trawlers scraping the ocean floor. It's a junk industry.

And wild fish stocks around the world are collapsing. If people want sea food in the future, they will either have to accept that it's going to be very expensive, or that consumption will have to decrease, or that aquaculture will have to fill the role. Theirs no getting around that.

You don't know what you're talking about with fish feed. Fish feeds are formulated diets, and the farmed fish are actually more efficient consumers of their feed. So if you're looking at ocean carrying capacity, and how much food can be produced, aquaculture will allow us to feed more people on the same amount of resources.

Farmed salmon cause sea lice.

Where did the farmed salmon get the sea lice from? Wild fish.

 

[bill barilko]

And wild fish stocks around the world are collapsing. If people want sea food in the future, they will either have to accept that it's going to be very expensive, or that consumption will have to decrease, or that aquaculture will have to fill the role. Theirs (sic) no getting around that.

There will be nothing at all if Salmon feedlots aren't removed from the ocean.

There are countless examples of sustainable healthy mariculture operations but Salmon feedlots aren't one of them-raising carnivorous animals in closed containment doesn't work.

You don't know what you're talking about with fish feed.

Nice try-southern oceans have been decimated of baitfish to raise carnivorous fish for consumption in northern countries-a new form of colonialism.

Fish feeds are formulated diets

For once you've got something right-feed contains not only fish raped from other oceans and transported monstrous distances but vitamins/growth hormones/antibiotics and godaloneknows what horrors to keep those nasty slugs alive.

and the farmed fish are actually more efficient consumers of their feed. So if you're looking at ocean carrying capacity, and how much food can be produced, aquaculture will allow us to feed more people on the same amount of resources.

Another pack of prevarications-the destruction of the benthic environment under those pens puts paid to the lie of efficient feeding-the reek the stench of those hellholes can be detected from a half mile away-I know I've smelled them in the Broughton Archipelago and Queen Charlotte Strait.

Have you ever met a fish farm employee who will eat the stuff?

I know a number of workers and I never have-Note I mean someone who works on the floats not some flunky pumping out lies all day in an office-those I know too.

Where did the farmed salmon get the sea lice from? Wild fish.

Sea Lice are a naturally occurring life form-filthy Salmon feed lots act as a vector for unnatural growth and being as how these same dumps are located exactly where Salmon molts migrate to sea smolts are exposed to the pest like never before-see photo for details.

Funny thing-I was just perusing some article on the CBC site about the same subject-there wasn't a single pro-feedlot flunky posting.

The reason of course is because it's the weekend and no one is hunkered down pumping out lies & bee ess trying to save their fading jobs.

 

[Tonington]

There will be nothing at all if Salmon feedlots aren't removed from the ocean.

Bull $hit. The epidemiologists have looked at the data, and the declining salmon stocks are not related to aquaculture farms. The sea lice on the returning pink salmon are good predictors of how many lice they will find on the farms the following year. But lice counts on the farms are not good predictors of wild salmon survival. Something else is killing the wild salmon, and if you have been paying attention to the Cohen commission, there is new work being done by Kristi Miller on a parvovirus that has left genetic markers in the returning fish.

Here's the epidemiologists study:
Relationship of farm salmon, sea lice, and wild salmon populations

There are countless examples of sustainable healthy mariculture operations but Salmon feedlots aren't one of them-raising carnivorous animals in closed containment doesn't work.

According to you, but you're spewing nonsense. In fact you can't even be consistent. A salmon feedlot, as you call it, isn't a closed containment operation. There are closed containment systems, as I mentioned earlier, but they are newer technology that is only now beginning to roll-out.
Agrimarine | Sustainable Aquaculture Technology

Nice try-southern oceans have been decimated of baitfish to raise carnivorous fish for consumption in northern countries-a new form of colonialism.

Nice try, fish meal has been harvested long before salmon farming came along. Margarines, soaps, animal feeds for terrestrial animals like poultry, cattle, and pork production. Aquaculture feed uses a lower percentage of fish meal and fish oil each year. It's declining, while countries like China are importing fish meal more and more to feed to their massive pork industry.

Aquaculture production has grown, while fish meal and fish oil use has not grown. Do you know who is increasing consuming fish meal? Humans, and not indirectly through the foods they eat.

For once you've got something right-feed contains not only fish raped from other oceans and transported monstrous distances but vitamins/growth hormones/antibiotics and godaloneknows what horrors to keep those nasty slugs alive.

There are no hormones or anti-biotics added to fish feed. Vitamins...yeah the food you eat has vitamins added too. Where are you getting your information from anyways? Antibiotics can only be added with a Veterinarians prescription, and by the time fish are sick they won't be eating anyways. Hence why my industry is growing so rapidly. Fish vaccines.

Another pack of prevarications-the destruction of the benthic environment under those pens puts paid to the lie of efficient feeding-the reek the stench of those hellholes can be detected from a half mile away-I know I've smelled them in the Broughton Archipelago and Queen Charlotte Strait.

Fish waste is nutrients. Fisherman will routinely set lobster traps near farms out here. I'm not sure what you're smelling. Maybe you folks on the west coast do it differently than we do out here, because there is no smell on the farms, except for the smell of the feed barge.

Have you ever met a fish farm employee who will eat the stuff?

Yes...they serve it at conferences too. I eat it. The guys I graduated with eat it, they're on farms out near Campbell River right now.

I know a number of workers and I never have-Note I mean someone who works on the floats not some flunky pumping out lies all day in an office-those I know too.

What number of workers do you know? Maybe you're an internet flunkie pumping out lies...

Sea Lice are a naturally occurring life form-filthy Salmon feed lots act as a vector for unnatural growth and being as how these same dumps are located exactly where Salmon molts migrate to sea smolts are exposed to the pest like never before-see photo for details.

Yes, they are natural. The farmed salmon get lice infections from wild salmon. Read the report in PNAS I linked to above. Salmon lice counts on farms do not predict returns of wild salmon. There is something else killing the wild salmon.

I don't need to see your photo, I'm working on new sea lice drugs right now.

 

[bill barilko]

Nice of you to reveal your true interest in the feedlot industry-selling drugs to perpetuate their misery.

Misery I might add that is subsidised by the widespread destruction of coastal resources.

How some people can sleep @ night is beyond me-of course denial isn't a river in Egypt.

 

[Tonington]

Nice of you to reveal your true interest in the feedlot industry-selling drugs to perpetuate their misery.

It's not a secret on this forum. If you look you'll find posts where I'm critical of the placement of farms along migratory routes of wild fish, amongst other policies and practices. I work for a company that prevents animal misery, and a company that preserves antibiotic resistance (including important human antibiotics) by developing effective vaccines, including innovations like nucleic acid vaccines.

Folks like you give environmentalists a bad name. Short on facts, long on rhetoric.

I mean you couldn't even keep your posts on the topic of these ISA findings, though I'm happy to oblige fools when they repeat falsehoods.

 

[taxslave]

Ton: You are arguing with a pair of morons from the city that know nothing about fish farms but have swallowed the ecoterrorists BS hook line and sinker.