Grigg was wrong about Salmon Farming
By Gary D. Marty, Courier-Islander September 21, 2011
I was disappointed to read Ray Grigg's column in the Sept. 16 Courier-Islander, "The Sockeye Salmon Murder Mystery."
In the column, Mr. Grigg said, "The latest and most serious evidence in the sockeye salmon murder mystery is the possibility that corporations have brought lethal or debilitating viral infections to the West Coast. Symptoms of infectious salmon anemia have been found."
I am the board-certified veterinary pathologist that produced all the medical records Mr. Grigg cites as "symptoms of infectious salmon anemia." I am concerned that the public will be misled when a common symptom is attributed to a disease that does not occur in BC.
For example, a dry cough is a common symptom of the deadly SARS virus that killed several people in Toronto in 2003. Yet, when we hear a dry cough today we do not consider it "serious evidence" that the SARS virus has been brought to the West Coast.
The best evidence tells us that infectious salmon anemia is not in BC. Indeed, every fish with "symptoms of infectious salmon anemia" in the provincial fish health database was tested for the ISA virus using a highly sensitive and specific PCR test. All fish tested negative - no virus. From 2003 - 2010, the Province tested 4,726 dead farm salmon for the ISA virus, and all fish tested negative - no virus.
These results are available on public websites and summarized in Cohen Commission exhibit #1471 (August 22, 2011), http: //www. commissioncohen.ca/en/Schedule/ .
The provincial database that contains salmon farm medical records is now available to the public as part of the Cohen Commission proceedings. However, any public comment on these medical records needs to respect ethical guidelines as outlined by the College of Veterinarians of BC (http: //www.cvbc.ca/ cfm/index.cfm?It=100&Id=115 ).
Gary D. Marty, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Fish Pathologist Animal Health Centre BC Ministry of Agriculture Abbotsford
PAA Reference Note: Read more about this topic at:
Cohen Commission Exhibit 1471 - PCR test results for infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) in BC
http://www.farmfreshsalmon.org/blog/cohen-commission-exhbit-1471-pcr-test-results-infectious-salmon-anaemia-virus-isav-bc
Allegation about Disease is Blatantly False
http://www.farmfreshsalmon.org/blog/allegation-about-disease-blatantly-false
Mary Ellen Walling also responded to the Grigg Column at:
Column about Salmon Farming erroneous, uninformed
http://www.farmfreshsalmon.org/column-about-salmon-farming-erroneous-uninformed
