No evidence of ISA in B.C., CFIA tests conclude
Mainstream Canada, Tue, 2011-11-08
Thousands of tests have shown that there is no ISA virus in B.C. salmon, farmed or wild.
Today the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the results of a battery of tests on sockeye salmon smolts seized from anti-fish farm activists last month. The tissue quality of the 48 samples originally submitted for testing was sufficient to allow CFIA's retesting to confirm the Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus was not present.
All additional tests by CFIA were also negative.
"As the chief veterinarian of B.C. said today, it defies logic and common sense to assume that a few samples taken at random from the coast would indicate the presence of ISA when thousands of controlled tests of good-quality samples indicate no such thing," said Dr. Peter McKenzie, Mainstream Canada's fish health manager and professional veterinarian.
Since 2003, farmed salmon in B.C. have been tested by regulators for the ISA virus. Nearly 5,000 farmed salmon have been tested, and all were negative for the virus. Wild fish are also tested for the virus. In 2011 alone, nearly 1,200 samples of farmed and wild fish have been tested for the virus and have all come back negative. As well, in reaction to recent speculation that ISA might be in B.C. these 1,200 samples were retested by the B.C. Animal Health Centre and again showed no sign of the virus.
However, for weeks, while the CFIA conducted its investigation, the world was whipped into a frenzy through the malicious activities of a small group of anti-salmon farming activists, the same group who submitted the samples for testing. These activists have made it clear their mission is to shut down the B.C. salmon farming industry, at any cost. The activists' approach was emotional, fear-driven and ignored any good science which disagreed with their pre-conceived conclusions.
Next steps
The CFIA is currently doing an evaluation of the current provincial ISA surveillance program. Mainstream Canada has already given CFIA approval to release all our lab information related to ISA.
"It is important to our company and for B.C. wild salmon that we co-operate fully with CFIA and we support their ongoing investigation," said Fernando Villarroel, managing director of Mainstream Canada. "Fearmongering by anti-salmon farming activists does nothing to improve our understanding of farmed and wild salmon in B.C. We encourage CFIA to swiftly conclude their investigation."
Last year, as part of our ongoing commitment to continual improvement and sustainable aquaculture, Mainstream contributed funds for the Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences to upgrade existing laboratory facilities. The equipment has already been purchased and the lab has been upgraded to increase its diagnostic capacity for RT-PCR testing (the type of test used to look for the ISA virus) in B.C.
Once it opens in 2012, the lab will be available for anyone in the province to use.
For more information contact Grant Warkentin, Communications Officer, 250-286-0022 ext. 247 grant.warkentin@mainstreamcanada.com
