New Damien Gillis Fishfarming Expose'...

[Little Hawk]

Howdy,

For those of you in the KNOW about the travesties of the salmon-farming industry, you've likely already seen the awesome work by film-maker Damien Gillis ; for those of you still 'on the fence' or 'undecided' about what to think, I encourage you to watch this latest work and learn the TRUTH about this filthy, destructive industry that is a known direct-threat to the welfare of the Great-Fishes all of us here on this forum covet so dearly.
Education is the most powerful decision-making tool in the world. Once you have had the opportunity to learn about this issue, as I and so many others have, you will never feel the same about it and, perhaps then, will understand why I have no time or patience for the likes of Barbender and Sockeye on this forum who continue, unabated, spreading lies and deceptions here in a concerted effort to sway those still - on the fence.

I'm forwarding the following on behalf of my colleague,
Damien Gillis and the great new organization he's involved with.

Wild Salmon Circle Presents: New Film on Global Salmon Farming Industry + Panel Talk + Citizen Action

Date: Thursday, November 12
Time: 7-9 PM
Location: SFU Segal Centre - Room 1500-500 Granville St. (Downtown Vancouver - Granville & Pender)
Cost: $10 for Public / $5 for Students & Seniors

Join the Wild Salmon Circle on Nov. 12 from 7-9 PM at Vancouver's SFU Segal Centre for the premiere of a new short documentary by filmmaker Damien Gillis, which shows how the British Columbia experience of salmon farming fits into a global pattern of catastrophe wrought by a predominantly Norwegian-owned industry.

Watch the 3 min intro to the film here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eggrGn0V0fg

"Farmed Salmon Exposed" is a 20-minute film showcasing footage and images from Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Chile, and Canada. The documentary lifts the lid on facts that government and industry hoped Canadians would never learn about:

• That 90% of BC salmon farms are owned by 3 Norwegian corporations, with profits leaving our province
• That the industry has unleashed a deadly virus (ISA) that has decimated the industry in Chile, is currently hitting Scotland, and looms as a threat to wild salmon in Canada
• That there are possible links between the Fraser River sockeye collapse and open-net salmon farms on BC's coast
• That wild forage-fish stocks worldwide are being ravaged to make pelletized feed for farmed salmon

Featuring interviews with scientists, conservationists, indigenous and labour leaders from around the world, "Farmed Salmon Exposed" reveals the underbelly of industry now known as the "asbestos of the oceans" -- a corporate agribusiness that externalizes its waste and problems onto the ecosystems and coastal residents in the countries where it operates, while exporting profits into the pockets of foreign shareholders.

The short film will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q & A - featuring longtime salmon farming critic and former BC Environment Minister Rafe Mair, Hereditary Chief Robert Joseph of the Broughton Archipelago Territory, Chilean-Canadian biologist Pablo Trujillo from UBC's Fisheries Centre, and filmmaker Gillis. The event will conclude with a short-letter writing party for give those who are interested a chance to take direct action for wild salmon in BC.

 

[sockeyefry]

C'mon Little Hawk, is this for real?


""Farmed Salmon Exposed" is a 20-minute film showcasing footage and images from Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Chile, and Canada. The documentary lifts the lid on facts that government and industry hoped Canadians would never learn about:

• That 90% of BC salmon farms are owned by 3 Norwegian corporations, with profits leaving our province
• That the industry has unleashed a deadly virus (ISA) that has decimated the industry in Chile, is currently hitting Scotland, and looms as a threat to wild salmon in Canada
• That there are possible links between the Fraser River sockeye collapse and open-net salmon farms on BC's coast
• That wild forage-fish stocks worldwide are being ravaged to make pelletized feed for farmed salmon"


Profit in salmon farming amounts to less than 20% of expenses. So what about all the $$$$$ that are spent in BC. How come we don't here about the billions spent in BC to earn a millions in profit?

ISA was not unleashed by an industry, it is a naturally occuring pathogen.

Possible does not mean proven links. It is possible for me to win the lottery, but I never have to date. Doesn't mean it won't happebn, but it doesn't mean it will either. The intent is to make people think that there are links which do not exist.

Then they are also ravaged to make chicken, pigs, pet foods, fertilizers, etc... Bet they don';t mention this in their spin piece. This Gillis is a lightweight Michael Moore.

 

[rico]

you are wasting your time sockeye. No one here believes you. The writing is on the wall. One problem at a time.

 

[Little Hawk]

Indeed, this IS for real, but you already know that.

Sadly for you and all other proponents of this aquaculture nightmare, people like Damien Gillis and the rest of us are passionate and steadfast in our resolve to bring this industry into ecological-sync.

These reactionary posts by the likes of you and 'Barby' are becoming increasingly predictable - even comical - as time goes on.

 

[sockeyefry]

At least I have an open mind Hawk, and do not believe everything I am told. You just run along now with all the other sheeple.

 

[agentaqua]

quote:Originally posted by sockeyefry

• That the industry has unleashed a deadly virus (ISA) that has decimated the industry in Chile, is currently hitting Scotland, and looms as a threat to wild salmon in Canada

ISA was not unleashed by an industry, it is a naturally occuring pathogen.

sockeyfry,

you and I both know you are incorrect here - ISA was unknown in the resident fish population BEFORE salmon farms expanded into Chile. In fact, there were (past tense, now) NO salmon in their creeks there BEFORE salmon farming started there. ISA has now ravaged the farming industry there.

 

[sockeyefry]

Agent,

Was the ISA not found because it was not there, or was it because they were nbot loking for it?

In Norway, Scotland, New Brunswick, ISA just appeared and was found first in farmed fish. The reason they found it was fish started to die from some unknown cause and the vets finally isolated the virus found to cause ISA.

Because it was found in farmed fish does not mean that the virus did not pre exist in nature. Th virus had to come from somewhere as it is a saltwater virus, not found in freshwater. Therefore the smolts from hatcheries leaving freshwater do not carry the ISA virus. It is when they get to sea that they come in contact with it. It is exactly the same as the sea lice. The smolt come from hatcheries without any sea lice of any form. They get themn from nature.

However, in Chile, with no natural Pacific salmon populations, there are brown trout, which are a second cousin to the Atlantic Salmon. These of course were introduced from Europe, which could have introduced the ISA virus.

 

[highlights]

"sheeple" or not... I will error on the side of caution. Anyone else committed to the preservation of our wild stocks will not deny every point risen just to sound non sheeple like.

C'mon, whats the point of refusing to look into all of the plausible causes here? In the very least, you can admit that this whole fish farming industry may have had a potentially negative effect on our resource.
Even as a proponent of fish farming, you cannot say it is all glitze. Can you?

Every aspect that may have a negative impact on our fish must be targeted and dispelled ( if we can ) before moving to the next potential cause .

So why not join us sheeples and rule this thing out.

Thanks,

HL

 

[agentaqua]

quote:Originally posted by sockeyefry

Agent,

Was the ISA not found because it was not there, or was it because they were nbot loking for it?

In Norway, Scotland, New Brunswick, ISA just appeared and was found first in farmed fish. The reason they found it was fish started to die from some unknown cause and the vets finally isolated the virus found to cause ISA.

Because it was found in farmed fish does not mean that the virus did not pre exist in nature. Th virus had to come from somewhere as it is a saltwater virus, not found in freshwater. Therefore the smolts from hatcheries leaving freshwater do not carry the ISA virus. It is when they get to sea that they come in contact with it. It is exactly the same as the sea lice. The smolt come from hatcheries without any sea lice of any form. They get themn from nature.

However, in Chile, with no natural Pacific salmon populations, there are brown trout, which are a second cousin to the Atlantic Salmon. These of course were introduced from Europe, which could have introduced the ISA virus.

Of the 67 Chilean freshwater fish species, 27% of them (or ~1 third) are introduced species; where most (56%) of the introduced species (as a % of the total introduced species) are salmonids; and the rest are nearly divided between Cyprinidae (17%), and other assorted species (25%). see: http://fish.mongabay.com/data/Chile.htm

ALL of the newly established salmonidae species and populations came from aquaculture/hatchery operations in Chile, including the brown trout.

THEY NEVER HAD ANY BEFORE. NO SALMON BEFORE. GOT IT??

ISA was first discovered in Chilean waters – off the coast of Chiloé (Region X) – in mid 2007, where the bulk of salmon production (roughly 70 percent) continues to take place in Region X (see: http://www.patagoniatimes.cl/index....MON-DISEASE-IS-BACK-IN-CHILES-MAGALLANES.html)

ISA stands for “Infectious Salmon Anaemia” which is a fish orthomyxovirus – the “S” again standing for “SALMON”.

So, no – without any native salmon – one would NOT EXPECT ISA, and I would doubt if they tested for it before salmon farms installed them selves on the Chilean Coast.

I could be wrong – but since testing for background levels of sea lice in migrating juvie salmon in a First(?) World country like Canada is still not a condition of licence for fish farm operations here – I doubt if the Chileans saw this freight trail coming either.

Likely, they too were told: “Nothing can go wrong, go wrong, go wrong...”, too.

It's important to note (http://www.rse.org.uk/enquiries/isa/report.pdf) that (ISA) is a viral disease of primarily farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), which are the most susceptible with (mortality of 80%) due most likely to species-specific responses to stress and crowding

It's also important to note that the ISA virus can be carried by other salmonid species such as brown trout (Salmo trutta – as sockeyefry correctly pointed-out), sea trout (S. trutta) (Raynard et al. 2001), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and, to a lesser extent Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) (Snow et al. 2001).

Unconfirmed positive tests for the virus have also been reported in Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) (Kibenge et al. 2001), the European eel (Anguilla Anguilla) (Raynard 2000), wild plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides ) (Mjaaland et al. in press) and possibly Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) (Mullins et al. 1999) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) (Mjaaland et al. in press).

It's also important to note that infection can be spread by fish-to-fish contact, through seawater, by transport of equipment and by organic material, especially blood and processing water (Jarp and Karlsen 1997). On salmon farms some fish may harbour the ISA virus for weeks or months before developing the disease (Mjaaland et al. In press).

The pathogen can be transmitted to but has not produced disease in freshwater brown trout Salmo trutta (Nylund et al. 1995) and sea trout S. trutta (Nyland and Jakobsen 1995), sea run brown trout; Rolland and Nyund 1999), and rainbow trout (Onchorhynchys mykiss) suggesting that these fish may become carriers and serve as potential reservoirs of infection (Nyland et al. 1997). a greater rate in Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) than in rainbow trout and brown trout. Thus, the potential for this species to act as a long-term carrier of ISAV may be less than that of other salmonids, all of which apparently clear viable virus by 40 days post injection (Snow et al. 2001). Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) - Canada biologists also detected the presence of ISAV among Atlantic salmon populations that are wild or have escaped from aquaculture operations collected at the Magaguadavic River fish trap (Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick).

It's also important to note that: “Sea lice of the species Caligulus elongatus and Lepeophterius salmonis may also play an important role as vectors that can enhance contagion during epidemics (Nyland et. al.1994).”

AND

“Transmission of the disease has also been associated with Caligus, also known as sea lice. Caligus, a major problem in Chile, are parasitic crustaceans that attach themselves to fish, creating lesions that render their hosts susceptible to various diseases, including ISA (PT, July 17)”
http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/4903/chilean-salmon-farmers-told-to-cull-isa-infected-fish

So, the most likely scenario - fish farms gave it to escaped salmonids (incl. browm trout) - they spread it between areas, but fish farms massively increased the point-source loading, and the disease spread rapidly.

All of this is testimoney to the non-effectiveness of the open net-cage technology to protect either farmed fish or their interactions with wild salmonids.

AGAIN.

 

[Charlie]

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Questions and Answers Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA)

Q1. What is Infectious salmon anemia (ISA)?
Infectious salmon anemia (ISA) is a disease of Atlantic salmon caused by an influenza-like virus. The virus targets the blood system of the salmon by infecting the blood vessels, the heart and the blood cells, resulting in severe anemia and death.

Q2. Where is ISA Found?
To date, Atlantic salmon is the only fish species known to be affected by ISA and the majority of detections have occurred in the Bay of Fundy. A strain of the virus has also been detected in wild and farmed cod, herring, pollock, rainbow trout and sea run brown trout elsewhere in Canada, the U.S., Norway and Scotland.

Q3. How is ISA transmitted and spread?
The disease is most often transmitted by contact with infected live salmon or infected biological materials such as animal wastes or discharges. Infected fish may transmit the disease weeks before they show apparent signs of infection.
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/aqua/infect/infectqueste.shtml


Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (ISAV) is a highly infectious disease of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) that was first reported within Norwegian aquaculture facilities. The disease has since been described among pre-market Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar in Scotland (Bricknell et. al. 1998), New Brunswick, Canada (Lovely et al. 1999), the United Kingdom (Rodger et al. 1999), and the Cobscook Bay region of the United States (Bouchard et al. 2001) and from coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Chile and the Faroe Islands (Kibenge et al. 2001). The rapid invasion of ISAV into three bays within New Brunswick affecting 21 farms (Bouchard et al. 1998) is one indicator of the severe threat that ISAV represents for Atlantic salmon aquaculture. Furthermore, the annual cost of infectious salmon anemia outbreaks among farmed fish in 1999 was reported to be $11million (U.S. dollars) in Norway, $14 million in Canada, and the 1998 – 1999 epidemics in Scotland were valued at a cost of $32 million (Hastings et al. 1999). Although epizootics of ISAV have been specifically associated with cultured salmon, salmon, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) - Canada biologists also detected the presence of ISAV among Atlantic salmon populations that are wild or have escaped from aquaculture operations collected at the Magaguadavic River fish trap (Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick). In addition to Atlantic and Chinook salmon, the pathogen infects but has not produced disease in freshwater brown trout, Salmo trutta (Nylund et al. 1995); sea trout, S. trutta (Nyland and Jakobsen 1995); and rainbow trout, Onchorhynchys mykiss (Nyland et al. 1997).

Horizontal transmission of the ISA virus in fresh water has been achieved experimentally (Brown et. al. 1998) and occurs rapidly between infected and naive smolts in freshwater. Even under these conditions, asymptomatic smolts may remain infective to naive parr for 18 months after the original challenge (Melville and Griffiths 2000).
http://www.lsc.usgs.gov/fhb/leaflets/FHB85.pdf



Results: In mid-June 2007, an Atlantic salmon marine farm site located in central Chiloé Island in Region X of Chile registered a sudden increase in mortality following recovery from an outbreak of Pisciricketsiosis, which rose to a cumulative mortality of 13.6% by harvest time. Based on the clinical signs and lesions in the affected fish, and laboratory tests performed on the fish tissues, a confirmatory diagnosis of ISA was made; the first time ISA in its classical presentation and for the first time affecting farmed Atlantic salmon in Chile. Rapid sequencing of the virus-specific RT-PCR products amplified from the fish tissues identified the virus to belong to the European genotype (Genotype I) of the highly polymorphic region (HPR) group HPR 7b, but with an 11-amino acid insert in the fusion glycoprotein, and ability to cause cytopathic effects (CPE) in CHSE-214 cell line,
characteristics which make it distinct from common European Genotype ISAV isolates from Europe and North America.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the present work constitutes the first report of a case of ISA in farmed Atlantic salmon in Chile. The clinical signs and lesions are consistent with the classical descriptions of the disease in marine-farmed Atlantic salmon in the Northern hemisphere. The outbreak was caused by ISAV of European genotype (or Genotype I) of HPR 7b but distinct from common European Genotype ISAV isolates.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1746-6148-4-28.pdf


E P I D E M I O L O G Y
• Contagious.
• Daily mortality ranging from 0.05% to ³1% and total
mortality ranging from 15% to 100% in affected
cages.

HOSTS
• Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).
• Virus replicates in sea trout (Salmo trutta), rainbow
trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Atlantic herring
(Clupea harengus) after experimental infection.

TRANSMISSION
• Water-borne transmission.
• Vertical transmission has been suspected.
• Biological vector: Sea lice have been suggested.

SOURCES OF THE VIRUS
• Reservoir not known.
• Organic material from infected fish.
• Waste water from slaughterhouses and processing
industries.

OCCURRENCE
Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) has been diagnosed
in Norway since 1984 in fish farms producing Atlantic
salmon. The disease has also been identified in
Canada (1997) and Scotland (1998) in the same
species.
http://www.marine.ie/NR/rdonlyres/3...F/0/InfectiousSalmonAnaemiaOIEDiseaseCard.pdf


In conclusion and if I am not mistaken, ISA is “very much” a “farmed” "Atlantic salmon disease"! It can be transmitted several different ways, back and forth with the "wild" Pacific salmon, including “sea lice”. And if again, I am not mistaken, the Chile outbreak very much came from a "European" source (wonder who that was)? At least from the above study from BMC Veterinary Research, which btw Marine Harvest provided funding for. Hmmm... Bet you won’t find that anywhere on any of their websites!

 

[Charlie]

quote:Originally posted by highlights

"sheeple" or not... I will error on the side of caution. Anyone else committed to the preservation of our wild stocks will not deny every point risen just to sound non sheeple like.

C'mon, whats the point of refusing to look into all of the plausible causes here? In the very least, you can admit that this whole fish farming industry may have had a potentially negative effect on our resource.
Even as a proponent of fish farming, you cannot say it is all glitze. Can you?

Every aspect that may have a negative impact on our fish must be targeted and dispelled ( if we can ) before moving to the next potential cause .

So why not join us sheeples and rule this thing out.

Thanks,

HL

X2

 

[cuttlefish]

I remember a new outbreak of ISA in the Shetland Islands open net cage salmon farming industry at the same time as the bird flu outbreak at a turkey farm in BC early in the new year. I wondered at the time whether each would be contained. I haven't heard of any spread of the bird flu outbreak, but as far as ISA in salmon farms goes......
http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/2009/October/news/ISA strikes again.htm

 

[sockeyefry]

Okay Agent & Charlie,

If the ISA virus is a saltwater virus, and fish farms are stocked with smolt from freshwater, which has no ISAV, where did the farms in Chile and other areas get this saltwater virus?

Is it possible that the virus pre existed in nature and that the farmed salmon were predisposed to it?

Is it possible that the virus existed in nature and remains undetectde until farmed salmon are placed in an area, and because of the strict health regimen, these viruses are detected?

Is it possible that because the virus has been found in several other fish species, that they may be the real source and the farmed fish just represent a susceptible host?

Remember that the smolt are entered into the farms from freshwater sites which are free of saltwater viruses and sea lice.

 

[sockeyefry]

Hey highlights,

I agree with you that all possible causes should be investigated, and corrective measures applied. I do not want this to become however a witch hunt. You know like the Monty Python we found a witch may we burn her skit from the Holy Grail.

 

[agentaqua]

quote:Originally posted by sockeyefry

Okay Agent & Charlie,

If the ISA virus is a saltwater virus, and fish farms are stocked with smolt from freshwater, which has no ISAV, where did the farms in Chile and other areas get this saltwater virus?

Is it possible that the virus pre existed in nature and that the farmed salmon were predisposed to it?

Is it possible that the virus existed in nature and remains undetectde until farmed salmon are placed in an area, and because of the strict health regimen, these viruses are detected?

Is it possible that because the virus has been found in several other fish species, that they may be the real source and the farmed fish just represent a susceptible host?

Remember that the smolt are entered into the farms from freshwater sites which are free of saltwater viruses and sea lice.

Not sure where you are getting your information to assume that ISA is a "salt water" virus, sockeyefry - or your collary assumption that: "fish farms are stocked with smolt from freshwater, which has no ISAV".

If you look at the link I posted from the Report of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Working Party on Infectious Salmon Anaemia at:

http://www.rse.org.uk/enquiries/isa/report.pdf

you will note that they state on page 2:

"However, a survey for ISA virus in farmed salmonid fish continued to show the presence (albeit declining) of the virus in farm sites in marine surveillance zones, other marine sites and freshwater sites</u> in 2000 (Stagg et al. 2001)."

AND, on page 3:

"In Scotland there is putative evidence of ISA virus in salmon parr, juvenile brown trout, sea trout and eel (Raynard 2000), both in marine and fresh water</u>."

The rest of your attempt to develop a fairy tale to explain why fish farms could not be responsible just kinds falls apart...

 

[Charlie]

quote:Originally posted by sockeyefry

Okay Agent & Charlie,

If the ISA virus is a saltwater virus, and fish farms are stocked with smolt from freshwater, which has no ISAV, where did the farms in Chile and other areas get this saltwater virus?

Is it possible that the virus pre existed in nature and that the farmed salmon were predisposed to it?

Is it possible that the virus existed in nature and remains undetectde until farmed salmon are placed in an area, and because of the strict health regimen, these viruses are detected?

Is it possible that because the virus has been found in several other fish species, that they may be the real source and the farmed fish just represent a susceptible host?

Remember that the smolt are entered into the farms from freshwater sites which are free of saltwater viruses and sea lice.

"Conclusion: In conclusion, the present work constitutes the first report of a case of ISA in farmed Atlantic salmon in Chile. The clinical signs and lesions are consistent with the classical descriptions of the disease in marine-farmed Atlantic salmon in the Northern hemisphere. The outbreak was caused by ISAV of European genotype (or Genotype I) of HPR 7b but distinct from common European Genotype ISAV isolates.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1746-6148-4-28.pdf"[/quote]

What part of that do you "NOT" understand?

 

[agentaqua]

Good one, Charlie.

It's great having you on this forum...

In the discussion they also state: "rapid sequencing of virus-specific RT-PCR products amplified from the fish tissues identified the virus as belonging to the European genotype."

Although now evolved enough to be distinct, this new Chilean ISA virus originally came from Europe (due to the simularities with the Europen strain), NOT Chile - and more likely from NORWAY, because: "To date, there have been only 8 other ISAV isolates with inserts in RNA segment 5 [20,21]. All these isolates are Norwegian".

 

[SnapperAttacker]

Its just like the flu, or the cold or for salmons sake... sea lice. They all exist in nature naturally. But when populations are heightened, it increases the distribution of disease allowing longer incubation time in its host, it does allow the characteristics of the disease to change or become more destructive. A simple example allready figured out is sea lice. If left un treated, these fish farms attain copeous amounts of lice, causing farm illness along with illness to any wild fish that swims in the affected waters. ISA is just another example, but many times worse. And the people farming the fish are poorly educated, or gullible to make a $. $ Talks, but not enough to move these farms onto land.
Hey Sockeyefry "Why dont they put fishfarms close to Vancouver? Or somewhere nearbye where fisheries/biology/students have easy access to study them full time" I would like to see one farm moved and put in front of English Bay for a year to see the interest it peaks. Its like the industry hides behind a curtain of lies.

quote:Originally posted by sockeyefry

Agent,

Was the ISA not found because it was not there, or was it because they were nbot loking for it?

In Norway, Scotland, New Brunswick, ISA just appeared and was found first in farmed fish. The reason they found it was fish started to die from some unknown cause and the vets finally isolated the virus found to cause ISA.

Because it was found in farmed fish does not mean that the virus did not pre exist in nature. Th virus had to come from somewhere as it is a saltwater virus, not found in freshwater. Therefore the smolts from hatcheries leaving freshwater do not carry the ISA virus. It is when they get to sea that they come in contact with it. It is exactly the same as the sea lice. The smolt come from hatcheries without any sea lice of any form. They get themn from nature.

However, in Chile, with no natural Pacific salmon populations, there are brown trout, which are a second cousin to the Atlantic Salmon. These of course were introduced from Europe, which could have introduced the ISA virus.

 

[Charlie]

I don’t want to beat the ISA disease comments to death, but WOW Sockeye… what are you thinking???
You really need to read this study from the Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway e-mail: Siri.Vike@bio.uib.no; siri.vike@ewos.com
http://www.springerlink.com/content/f542865267853111/fulltext.pdf

Just to recap and highlight:
1. ISA can be found in fresh water lakes.
2. Can be transmitted by smolts from fresh water to sea.
3. Can be transmitted by eggs.
4. ISA is a “S. Salmo and S.trutta”” disease, and has not been found in the “Oncorhynchus” species.

It basically states if you keep importing eggs (you may think you don’t, but you do)… It is not an “if” question… it is diffidently a “YOU WILL GET ISA”!

And, Marine Harvest Norway… “Expected” Chile to get this disease??? How’s this for an attitude? Oh well, let’s move “our” pens into Chile, grow “our” fish, until “our” disease breaks-out and ruins their environment and fishery? Then, oh well – to bad! We will just close “our” pens; move “our” operation to another country, until “our” disease break-outs again? They have a hell of a track record there, isn't it! You support this? Which will, also mean the end of "your" job, as Marine Harvest will just cut their loses and move out, just as in the past and Chile!

If we allow this to happen it very well could be the “END” of our Pacific salmon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Existing ISA virus isolates can be divided into two major genotypes, a North American (NA) and a European (EU) genotype, based on phylogenetic analysis of the genome.”

“In this study, ISA virus has been isolated from salmon in a marine farm suffering an outbreak of the disease in 2008 and from smolts with no signs of ISA in a fresh water lake</u>..”

“The Chilean ISA virus groups in a clade with exclusively Norwegian ISA viruses, where one of these isolates was obtained from a Norwegian brood stock population.”

“Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) virus is a member of the family Orthomyxoviridae, genus Isavirus. It has an eightsegment genome and is present in most countries that farm Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Faroe Islands, Canada, USA and recently Chile ([4, 8, 9, 12, 14, 20, 23]). Based on comparisons of the genomes of all known ISA viruses, they can be divided into two major genotypes, i.e. a North American (NA) and a European (EU) genotype [3, 5, 10].”

“It has been suggested that the geographical pattern of ISA virus isolates in Norway reflects the origin of the brood fish, i.e. that vertical transmission could play a major role in the spread of ISA virus in Norwegian salmon farming [17]. Vertical transmission of ISA virus has been shown in a study of Norwegian brood fish (NBF) </u> [15]. The ISA virus is also easily transmitted between individuals (horizontal transmission) in tanks or net pens and also to a certain degree between salmon in different nets within a site [22].”

“The seawater isolate came from a farm experiencing an official outbreak of ISA, while the freshwater isolate came from a smolt production site in a freshwater lake. The smolts did not show any signs of ISA. The salmon in both seawater and fresh water had their origin as eggs in Norway.”

“The distribution of ISA virus reflects the natural pattern of occurrence of members of the genus Salmo (S. Salar and S. trutta), i.e. presence on the East coast of North America (Canada and USA) and north Western Europe (Norway, Scotland, Ireland, and the Faroe Islands). The virus has not been found in Oncorhynchus species on the west coast of North America.</u> The reasons for this pattern are, of course, that the ISA virus is a Salmo virus and that these countries have a salmon farming industry, which has made a naturally occurring virus in these areas visible to the industry and researchers.”

“It has already been documented that the ISA virus may be vertically or transgenerationally transmitted [15], and it has been suggested that vertical transmission plays a major role in the spread of ISA virus in the Norwegian salmon farming industry </u> [17]. The latter suggestion is based on a combination of screening data showing that ISA virus has a high prevalence in Norwegian smolt farms and that genotyping of ISA virus from marine production sites shows a pattern consistent with a high frequency of vertical transmission [17]. It seems as if different NBF populations are carrying specific ISA viruses reflecting the brood stock population and generation. Based on these data, it has been expected that the ISA virus and the disease (ISA) should emerge in Chile, since a large number of Atlantic salmon embryos are imported every year to supply the Chilean aquaculture industry.”</u>

Again, "Based on these data, it has been expected that ISA virus and disease (ISA) should emerge in Chile..." THEY KNEW IT!!!
Thanks for the eye opener! You guys are playing with “A VERY DEADLY DISEASE”!!!!!!!!!

 

[sockeyefry]

Charlie,

How does ISA ruin their "environment and fisheries" when it impacts only farmed Atlantic Salmon and no other fish species has been found to die from it. Carry it yes, but not succumb to it?

"...It basically states if you keep importing eggs (you may think you don’t, but you do)… "

What eggs are being imported into BC from Europe, or the east coast, or any other ISA positive area?

"....If we allow this to happen it very well could be the “END” of our Pacific salmon!!!!!!!!!!!!!...."

How, please refer to #4 of your last post. ISA does not affect anything else other than Salmo Salar. No pacific (Onchoryhncus) have ever been killed by this virus. They do carry it, just like Sockeye carry IHN. So stop with the unsubstantiated grandstanding. I expect that from Little Hawk, not from you or Agent who enter this discussion with facts and restrain from the Media Hype as a rule.

"...“The distribution of ISA virus reflects the natural pattern of occurrence of members of the genus Salmo (S. Salar and S. trutta), i.e. presence on the East coast of North America (Canada and USA) and north Western Europe (Norway, Scotland, Ireland, and the Faroe Islands). The virus has not been found in Oncorhynchus species on the west coast of North America. The reasons for this pattern are, of course, that the ISA virus is a Salmo virus and that these countries have a salmon farming industry, which has made a naturally occurring virus in these areas visible to the industry and researchers.”..."

Notice it says NATURALLY OCCURING VIRUS made visible by the presence of industry to researchers. If there was no farms, the virus may have never been found.

In Norway, alot of hatcheries use sea water to buffer the natrally low PH of their freshwater. Smolt in these hatcheries were found to have the ISA virus, and it was initially thought that the virus was vertically transmitted, until the fact that the fish had been exposed to untreated seawater which naturally held the virus proved the theory false.

Vertical transmission for those reading who do not know is a disease agent passed from the mother to the offspring inside the egg. Usually it is restricted to viruses, but a bacterial disease known as Bacterial Kidney Disease can also be transmitted from the parents to the offspring in the egg. Normal procedures are for all parents to undergo testing for the presence of bacterial and viral agents, and if found the eggs that came from those parents are discarded. It would be irresponsible to do otherwise. All broodstock in BC are sampled in this manner.

All broodstock in BC have originated from strains which have been in the province since the early 90's. To my knowledge, with the exception of a few small importations of eggs from Iceland from certified disease free onshore brood facilities and no ISA, all eggs used in BC for the last decade or more have been from these brood lines.

After watching the Chilean experience, no one in BC is talking about importation anymore. Used to be that people discussed bringing in eggs, mainly because it was felt that the eggs were better than what we had. I think it was a case of the grass being greener, and there was no real advantage over what we already had. In any event, DFO would not allow it anyway from Norway or the East Coast. They did allow a few small Icelandic imports, under strict quarantines, but these fish did not prove to be any better, and in most cases performed worse than what is in BC now.

From a farmers perspective ISAV is a bad virus, but not so much from a wild population stand point. No where has it caused any problems accept to the farmed fish, so relax Charlie, there are worse viruses that occur naturally in BC that will effect wild pacifics. And the farms had nothing to do with bringing them in or creating them from thin air.