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Trudeau government must take action on deadly European salmon virus in British Columbia
07/01/16
(Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, B.C. - January 07, 2016) A recently released study, published in Virology Journal, reports evidence that the virus most feared by the international salmon farming industry is now present in our wild fish in British Columbia, Canada.
Chief Bob Chamberlin, Vice-President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), stated, “For years, we have warned the federal and provincial governments about our concerns with the imminent and devastating effect salmon farms have on wild salmon stocks. Today these fears are heightened. Wild salmon are integral to many First Nations’ cultures, well being and livelihood, and the protection of our wild salmon stocks is equally integral to the economic and environmental sustainability of the province and country as a whole.”
The ISA virus, a member of the influenza family, is appearing around the world where Atlantic salmon are farmed. When active, this virus can engulf the salmon farming industry, but here in BC we have the added risk of it spreading to wild salmon stocks that are already in decline. This virus has the potential for severe consequences to BC, the Northwestern United States and Alaska. ISAV caused billions of dollars in damage when accidentally introduced to Chile, because no action was taken when it was first detected.
We are extremely concerned that the study reports detection of a European strain of the ISA virus in the Fraser sockeye that spawn in Cultus Lake. These findings come as we face another year, where only an estimated two million sockeye have returned to the Fraser River, far short of the more than six million predicted in preseason forecasts.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President of UBCIC, asserts, “With the newly released research, we have the opportunity to stop the ISA virus before it causes incalculable damage to wild salmon. UBCIC calls for the opening of fish farms to independent First Nations testing. Additionally, a test is needed that is specific to the new variant of European ISA virus and must be carried out on Atlantic salmon in the farms that are guests in our territories.”
The study represents a window of opportunity for the newly elected Trudeau government to take concrete steps to protect our wild salmon and rebuild the trust and respect that was lost under the Harper regime, which dismissed evidence-based scientific approaches and refused to enact the recommendations of the Cohen Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River.
Given the critical importance of wild salmon the UBCIC remains fully committed to work with Minister Tootoo to help guide the new government’s commitments to reestablish transparent, science -based approaches and to renewing the relationship between the federal government and First Nations on a Nation-to-Nation basis, respecting our inherent Title and Rights.
Media inquiries:
Chief Bob Chamberlin, Union of BC Indian Chiefs
Phone: (778) 988-9282
[more on the findings]:
Feared Atlantic Farm Salmon Virus Identified in British Columbia
(BRITISH COLUMBIA, January 7, 2016) A scientific paper released on January 6, provides the first published evidence that a European variant of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) is present in British Columbia, Canada. The study, Discovery of variant infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) of European genotype in British Columbia, Canada, tested over 1,000 farmed and wild fish. European ISAV is the most feared salmon virus in the salmon farming industry.
When ISAV spread to Chile in Atlantic salmon eggs, there was no response to contain it. In 2007, it spread rapidly, causing $2 billion in damages and outbreaks continue.
Unlike Chile, BC has wild salmon that contribute billions of dollars to the economy through tourism, commercial and sports fishing. The risk of an outbreak has the potential for severe consequences in BC, the Northwestern United States and Alaska.
“I have been following this work for many years. ISA virus is a serious matter,” says Dr. Daniel Pauly, one of the world’s leading fisheries scientists, based at the University of British Columbia (UBC). “A member of the influenza family in open ocean feedlots is a risk Canada should not be taking on the west coast.”
The researchers were not allowed access to Atlantic salmon from farms for testing and so all farmed salmon samples came from markets in British Columbia. Detection of the ISA virus was three-fold greater in farmed than wild salmon, but European ISA virus genetic sequence was detected in 72% of the cutthroat trout that reside in Cultus Lake, home to Canada’s most endangered Fraser River sockeye salmon population. Government attempts to restore Cultus Lake sockeye through fishing bans, enhancement and habitat restoration have been unsuccessful.
This raises the questions: Is ISA virus impacting Cultus sockeye and other BC wild salmon populations? And at what cost to Canadians?
"The potential that viruses such as ISAV are contributing to widespread decline in sockeye salmon populations cannot be taken lightly," states co-author Dr. Rick Routledge. "The findings in this paper should lead to development of more sensitive screening for this specific virus. This opportunity needs to be pursued with vigour."
The study also found evidence of ISA virus in sea lice.
“Finding ISA virus genetic material in a sea louse from a heavily salmon farmed region, the
Discovery Islands, significantly elevates my concern that the pathogen release from the open net farming industry is far more serious than anyone knew,” says Dr. Craig Orr, Conservation Advisor for Watershed Watch.
"This was a difficult strain of ISAV to detect, because of a small mutation," says co-author Alexandra Morton. "It is easy to see how it was missed, but we have cracked its code. It is critical that we learn from what happened to Chile. In my view, this work gives BC and our US neighbours the opportunity to avoid tragic consequences."
A lawsuit has been filed in the US against the US Environmental Protection Agency for allowing wild salmon to be put at risk from farmed salmon diseases.
The Virology Journal is a peer-reviewed scientific publication from BioMed Central, a leading academic open access publisher in the areas of biology, medicine and health. BioMed Central is part of global publishing house Springer Nature.
Backgrounder: http://discoverynewvariantisav.typepad.com/my-blog/
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Media Contacts:
Alexandra Morton, independent biologist with Raincoast Research Society has published extensively on sea lice impact of net pen salmon farming.
Email: AlexandraMorton5@gmail.com Phone: 250-974-7086
Dr. Richard Routledge, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University has spent 14 years studying the decline of the sockeye salmon in Rivers Inlet.
Email: routledg@sfu.ca Phone: 604-941-6976
Don Huff, ECO Strategy
Email: huffd@ecostrategy.ca Phone: 416-805-7720
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