Virus fears for B.C. salmon unfounded, officials say By Judith Lavoie, timescolonist.com
Fears that a deadly virus is infecting B.C. salmon appear to be unfounded, federal officials said Tuesday. Tests at a specialized Moncton laboratory by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Fisheries and Oceans on 48 samples of sockeye smolts found no sign of infectious salmon anemia (ISA), said Con Kiley, CFIA national aquatic animal health program director. "There are no confirmed cases of ISA in wild or farm salmon in B.C," he said. "There's no evidence that it occurs in fish off the waters of B.C." Read more:
The results run contrary to tests on the same samples carried out at the
World Animal Health ISA reference laboratory at the University of Prince Edward
Island, which found two of 48 sockeye smolts tested positive for the deadly
European strain of the virus. A coho, chum and chinook also tested positive.
Questions remain because of the poor quality of the samples and federal
officials agreed that more testing is needed.
"The supplementary results must be considered inconclusive because of the
poor quality of the samples," Kiley said.
"Additional testing will continue and the results will be provided when we
are ready."
Peter Wright, national manager of DFO's research and diagnostic laboratory
system, said the samples were received in such poor condition that no definite
conclusions could be drawn.
"Most are halfway or totally degraded," he said.
The results are consistent with independent testing by a lab in Norway that
found one positive reading, but reported that the sample was poor and the test
could not be reproduced, Wright said.
The province has re-tested some fish samples from salmon farms, B.C.'s chief
veterinary officer Paul Kitching said.
"We are still unable to find the virus — absolutely zero," he said.
The European strain of ISA has devastated salmon farms in Norway, Chile and
eastern Canada, but is not believed to be fatal to Pacific salmon.
Simon Fraser University professor Rick Routledge, who collected the sockeye
samples in Rivers Inlet, said he is not surprised by the CFIA/DFO results.
"These samples had been captured and stored for other purposes and everyone
recognized there was a strong possibility that the virus would be degraded over
time," he said.
The smolts weighed only a few grams and the PEI tests were carried out on the
hearts, which are no longer available to researchers, Routledge said.
"Nothing is known about where the virus might concentrate in sockeye salmon,"
he said.
Routledge hopes the federal government will start widespread testing of fresh
samples as soon as possible.
Samples from a tributary of the Fraser River were collected by biologist
Alexandra Morton, a vocal opponent of fish farms, who fears the virus could have
been introduced through imported salmon eggs.
Morton, who agrees some samples were degraded because of freezing, said she
wonders why tests are not being carried out on fresh samples she has already
submitted and why DFO is not immediately collecting more samples.
"If the samples are degraded, what confidence can we have in the tests?"
Morton said.
"Given the very severe nature of this virus, wouldn't it be wise to be
testing out here?"
Mary Ellen Walling, executive director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers
Association, said the results are welcome news.
"This is a significant result for everyone involved — researchers,
regulators, wild salmon advocates, salmon farmers and our coastal communities,"
she said.
Initial allegations, made at a news conference at Simon Fraser University,
that the virus had been found in wild salmon were inflammatory and potentially
affected international markets, she said.
"We're pleased to see the thorough way CFIA is following up, but are dismayed
at the way campaigners used this to create fear about our operations," she
said.
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© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times
Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Virus+fears+salmon+unfounded+officials/5677781/story.html#ixzz1dEFp7PTR
World Animal Health ISA reference laboratory at the University of Prince Edward
Island, which found two of 48 sockeye smolts tested positive for the deadly
European strain of the virus. A coho, chum and chinook also tested positive.
Questions remain because of the poor quality of the samples and federal
officials agreed that more testing is needed.
"The supplementary results must be considered inconclusive because of the
poor quality of the samples," Kiley said.
"Additional testing will continue and the results will be provided when we
are ready."
Peter Wright, national manager of DFO's research and diagnostic laboratory
system, said the samples were received in such poor condition that no definite
conclusions could be drawn.
"Most are halfway or totally degraded," he said.
The results are consistent with independent testing by a lab in Norway that
found one positive reading, but reported that the sample was poor and the test
could not be reproduced, Wright said.
The province has re-tested some fish samples from salmon farms, B.C.'s chief
veterinary officer Paul Kitching said.
"We are still unable to find the virus — absolutely zero," he said.
The European strain of ISA has devastated salmon farms in Norway, Chile and
eastern Canada, but is not believed to be fatal to Pacific salmon.
Simon Fraser University professor Rick Routledge, who collected the sockeye
samples in Rivers Inlet, said he is not surprised by the CFIA/DFO results.
"These samples had been captured and stored for other purposes and everyone
recognized there was a strong possibility that the virus would be degraded over
time," he said.
The smolts weighed only a few grams and the PEI tests were carried out on the
hearts, which are no longer available to researchers, Routledge said.
"Nothing is known about where the virus might concentrate in sockeye salmon,"
he said.
Routledge hopes the federal government will start widespread testing of fresh
samples as soon as possible.
Samples from a tributary of the Fraser River were collected by biologist
Alexandra Morton, a vocal opponent of fish farms, who fears the virus could have
been introduced through imported salmon eggs.
Morton, who agrees some samples were degraded because of freezing, said she
wonders why tests are not being carried out on fresh samples she has already
submitted and why DFO is not immediately collecting more samples.
"If the samples are degraded, what confidence can we have in the tests?"
Morton said.
"Given the very severe nature of this virus, wouldn't it be wise to be
testing out here?"
Mary Ellen Walling, executive director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers
Association, said the results are welcome news.
"This is a significant result for everyone involved — researchers,
regulators, wild salmon advocates, salmon farmers and our coastal communities,"
she said.
Initial allegations, made at a news conference at Simon Fraser University,
that the virus had been found in wild salmon were inflammatory and potentially
affected international markets, she said.
"We're pleased to see the thorough way CFIA is following up, but are dismayed
at the way campaigners used this to create fear about our operations," she
said.
[email protected]
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times
Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Virus+fears+salmon+unfounded+officials/5677781/story.html#ixzz1dEFp7PTR
