Simon Fraser University did not find salmon virus
By Donald MacLachlan, The Daily News November 12, 2011
R; 'Shoddy science, not a salmon virus, the problem' (Your Letters, Nov. 10)
A letter you carried from Ian Roberts links Simon Fraser University with "shoddy science" regarding the reported discovery of the infectious salmon anemia virus in B.C. waters.
For the record, it was not SFU that made a positive finding of ISA in two wild salmon collected by SFU. The identification was made by the ISA reference laboratory at the Atlantic Veterinary College in PEI, and it was that agency that notified the Canadian Food Inspection Agency of the positive results.
According to Mr. Roberts, the CFIA has "confirmed" there is no ISA virus in the original fish tissues sent to the PEI lab by SFU.
What the CFIA said at a news conference this week was that no confirmed cases of ISA have been found, but supplementary testing "must be considered inconclusive because of the poor quality of the samples."
The CFIA added: "Additional testing will continue and the results will be provided when we are ready."
SFU fervently hopes that the eventual results will indeed be good news for B.C., for the many people whose livelihood is tied to wild salmon and to salmonfarming, and for the aquaculture industry.
Donald MacLachlan Director, Public Affairs and Media Relations Simon Fraser University
Letter SFU Public Affairs and Media Relations reponded to:
Shoddy science, not a salmon virus ,the problem
Ian Roberts, The Daily News, November 10, 2011
No new fish virus in B.C. salmon is great news. But just three weeks ago Simon Fraser University activists held a press conference to announce they had found this lethal fish virus (ISA) and its "only plausible source" was B.C. salmon farms. How were they able to arrive at this headlinegrabbing conclusion?
They were able to justify this embellished claim by ignoring key facts; chain of custody of fish samples were unknown, lab results were inconclusive, misrepresented and did not follow international guidelines. They also ignored past and present sampling of wild and farm-raised fish in BC - thousands of tests that had already confirmed no ISA virus in BC salmon.
Following proper protocols to verify these initial findings, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has now confirmed there is no ISA virus in the original fish tissues and many other samples that were confiscated from these activists.
So now we know it's misinformation and shoddy science spreading around B.C., and not a fish virus.
Ian Roberts Campbell River
Reference Links: SFU - People in the News - report compiled and distributed by SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations.
SFU Media Release: Lethal Atlantic Virus found in Pacific Salmon
SFU, Oct. 17, 2011
The highly contagious marine influenza virus, Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) has for the first time been officially reported after being found in the Pacific on B.C.’s central coast.
Now it threatens both wild salmon and herring, say biologist Alexandra Morton and Simon Fraser University professor Rick Routledge, whose laboratory led to the discovery of ISA in B.C. salmon smolts...
“If there is any hope, we have to turn off the source: Atlantic salmon have to be immediately removed.”...Read more
SFU People in the News, October 18, 2011
This report on Simon Fraser University in the news lists the main items of known media coverage from 9 a.m. Pacific Monday October 17 to 9 a.m. Pacific Tuesday October 18.
The report is compiled and distributed by SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations.
Big media and social-media play followed two SFU news releases Monday (Oct. 17)—one on the discovery of the lethal ISA virus in two wild BC salmon...
SFU prof Rick Routledge and independent biologist Alexandra Morton held a news conference at SFU Vancouver, to announce that the highly infectious salmon anemia virus has been found in wild salmon in the Rivers Inlet area of the BC Central Coast.
Following the news conference (to which the New York Times was linked) Routledge told the story on The World Today show on CKNW, with host Jon McComb:
...What does this mean to salmon farms?
“First of all, I can personally think of no plausible explanation for how it got here other than in the salmon farms...Read More
PAA Note: SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations posted daily SALMON VIRUS Media Summaries and links at SFU - People in the News
Here is their posting the day after the CFIA release:
SFU People in the News: November 09, 2011
SALMON VIRUS
There was big media coverage Tuesday (Nov.8) of a news conference called to counter reports from SFU last month that the lethal Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus had been found in BC waters.
The news conference was arranged by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Province of BC. At it, CFIA said tests on 48 wild salmon samples have found no confirmed cases of infectious salmon anemia in B.C. ...Read More
Editorial of interest:
A public hanging gone wrong
Courier-Islander, November 11, 2011
In the end, to this point, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has said there is no Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) in British Columbia waters.
Earlier reports had indicated otherwise, and the news spread far and wide much to the chagrin of the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association.
It was, for all intents and purposes, a public hanging. One in which the victim was left dangling, until the rope was cut at the last minute.
Certainly the concerns of an ISA breakout should cause us all to shudder, especially the industry itself. And the general public must be somewhat confused with headlines around the world that confirmed it had indeed broken out, and then more subdued headlines that it hadn't, according to the CFIA.
No matter on what side of the fence one sits, it is difficult not to think that the salmon farming industry got the raw end of the deal through it all.
It did no good for them, and it did little good for those who want to see fish farms moved out of the ocean environment.
It sends a clear message that we should not be jumping all over a probability.
Yet jump a lot of people did. The CFIA says it has more testing to do and in that the world awaits.
In the meantime the lesson is clear. Without fully substantiated facts, it is unfair and sadly malicious to suggest a high noon hanging is in order.
