CFIA doing monitoring, testing of farmed salmon
The Daily News, Published: Thursday, September 06, 2012
Re: 'Current salmon testing puts credibility at risk' (Your Letters, Aug. 31)
Contrary to assertions made in the letter "Current salmon testing puts credibility at risk," the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's approach to salmon disease testing will provide Canadians with clear, unbiased information about the health of salmon in British Columbia.
The CFIA launched a comprehensive surveillance initiative in the spring to determine the status of certain diseases, including infectious salmon anaemia, in B.C. waters. This initiative is rigorous, science-based and transparent.
Infectious salmon anaemia is a reportable disease, which means that the CFIA must be immediately notified of all suspected cases. Any detection of the disease in farmed salmon would be managed through science-based control measures, which may include quarantine and humane destruction and disposal.
An assessment of the monitoring and testing undertaken by industry will be included in the CFIA's surveillance initiative. The CFIA is fulfilling all its responsibilities and will be reviewing all data. Additional testing of farmed fish will be undertaken if further information is needed to fully determine B.C.'s disease status.
We remain committed to keeping Canadians informed of our disease control measures and surveillance results.
Dr. Ian Alexander Executive Director Animal Health Directorate Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Here is the letter Dr. Ian Alexander responded to:
Current salmon testing puts credibility at risk
Alexandra Morton Echo Bay, The Daily News, Published: Friday, August 31, 2012
I try to avoid the back and forth of too many letters, but the CFIA letter calling my words "untrue" requires clarity.
The issue is who is testing farm salmon for European diseases.
When the CFIA announced their surveillance plan for the salmon flu - Infectious Salmon Anemia virus (ISAv) - they did not include farm salmon.
This virus is known to occur in the Atlantic. The positive test results I have received suggest that European ISA virus has reached B.C. and it is well documented that it did spread to Chile in Atlantic farm salmon eggs.
Since most of the farm salmon in B.C. are Atlantic salmon, they must be tested. However, the CFIA is not going to do that.
When I pointed this out the CFIA called my words "untrue" - because the province of B.C. is monitoring farm salmon for this virus. That may well be, but ISA virus is a federally reportable disease and thus it falls under the jurisdiction of the federal CFIA, not the province.
The provincial fish farm veterinarian, Dr. Gary Marty, noted the classic lesions associated with ISA virus over 1000 times in his disease records submitted to the Cohen Commission. This is what prompted me to test for the virus. Dr. Marty's records included private reports to the individual salmon farming companies: Marine Harvest, Grieg and Mainstream.
It appears Dr. Marty does work for the province, but also for the companies and both sets of records include numerous references to the ISA virus and other EU viruses. It appears these reports were invoiced directly to the companies. Is this a conflict of interest? CFIA, Dr. Kim Klotins testified that if ISA virus is confirmed in B.C. it could shut down trade of B.C. salmon.
B.C. Minister of Agriculture, Don McRae said the U.S. and Asian legislators were pushing to close their borders when the ISA reports became public.
This is an international situation, with Canada's credibility as a trade partner and the health of wild salmon at stake.
To regain public trust, testing for this virus should be completely independent from the industry and vets who may work for the industry.
Why would the CFIA give up jurisdiction over ISA virus to the provincial veterinarian?
To read the full thread on these letters, please go to:
http://www.farmfreshsalmon.org/cfia-continuing-salmon-disease-control
