More on ISA: Alex

[Little Hawk]

I raise my glass - of Wisers - to a woman out there fighting like hell for our fishes! Cheers, Alex!



Today I received reports from two laboratories.

Dr. Are Nylund at the University of Bergen, Norway confirmed the ISA virus detection by Canadian lab, Dr. Fred Kibenge, in Rivers Inlet sockeye smolts. Dr. Nylund reports he only got a positive in one of the fish and this result was close to the detection limit for the test that he used. In the report below, the higher the value, the lower the amount of virus. He said the sample was poor quality.

We are on a steep learning curve here, having never dealt with viruses, keeping the samples in a home-type freezer was not optimal.

Download Report <http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/Report 021111.pdf> 021111.pdf (22.0K)

I also received the report from Dr. Kibenge, of the World Animal Health reference lab for ISA virus in Province Edward Island, on salmon a small group of us collected in the Fraser River on October 12. Late last week results from this group of tests was leaked to the New York Times and we heard that a Coho salmon tested positive for ISAv. Now that I have the complete report we learn that, similar to the sockeye from River's Inlet, the Coho in the Fraser River was infected with the European strain of ISA virus. But we see from this report that a chinook salmon and a chum salmon also tested positive.

Download <http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/Alexandra Morton Samples (SOCKEY E CHINOOK and COHO)_VT10142001_OCTOBER20 2011.pdf> Alexandra Morton Samples (SOCKEYE CHINOOK and COHO)_VT10142001_OCTOBER20 2011.pdf (45.9K)

What does this mean?

While this continues to raise the level of concern that ISA virus is going to cause significant problems in wild salmon in the eastern Pacific, a lot more work is required. Someone has to culture the virus. Once that happens we can learn how long it has been here, and exactly where it came from. The good news is that the levels of ISA virus detected in all these salmon has been low. While the salmon in my latest collection died before spawning, it is possible that ISA virus was not the cause of their death. Because ISA virus was only detected in the gills of the chum and chinook, it is possible they were only recently infected. The chum was silver-bright and likely just arrived in the river. The Chinook was severely jaundice. Did these two fish just become infected and is that why it was only detected in their gills?

Two possible sources would be salmon farms off Campbell River that they had just been exposed to on their in-migration into the river, or did they become infected by sharing the river with the Coho which had ISA virus in her heart suggesting a more system-wide longer infection period - I don't know. The Segment 6 probe is less sensitive than the segment 8 probe, so while we learned the Chinook and Chum were infected with ISA virus, we don't know what strain. If the virus is this contagious that it infected other salmon that had just arrived into the river this does present concerns.

I am not presenting myself as an expert in ISA virus, but I feel strongly there should be no secrecy when it comes to European strain ISA virus in wild salmon.

I am on a steep learning curve and feel it is essential that we move forward to:

1 - establish an international board to make sure testing is done in a highly and scientifically defensible manner

2 - establish a BC lab that can culture and test for ISA virus and report publicly

3 - test widely for the virus in the ocean, rivers and lakes and include other possible species such as herring

4 - mandate tests on every Atlantic salmon facility, especially the lake-rearing facilities by more than one lab so that no one lab bears the brunt of this and so the public can take full confidence in the tests

There has been an incredible response from many of you. So many of you have provided funds in small donations that we are able to move forward with revealing where ISA virus is hiding despite the complete lack of response by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Thank you.

Thank you also for the people reporting back as to what is happening in your rivers and lakes. I am not at all interested in handing this over to Fisheries and Oceans, nor the Province of BC. I have asked the provincial salmon farm vet, Dr. Gary Marty several times what ISA virus test he did on all the Atlantic salmon he found ISAv lesions in. He had the province of BC's lawyer answer, providing me with no information. I was hoping I could send samples to him, but I wont without knowing what test he is doing.

I will keep you posted.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Alex is bang on on what needs to be done. Now we have to pressure the govt. to follow through and do it!

 

[GLG]

ISA virus is serious, so what's B.C. doing about it?




By Dale Kelley, Special To The SunOctober 31, 2011




While fishermen are alarmed to learn about the discovery of a European virus in wild British Columbia salmon, the news comes as no great surprise. Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) has erupted in every country that farms salmon. Why would anyone think Canada is immune? Despite the presence of this disease in East Coast farms, British Columbia still allows the importation of non-indigenous Atlantic salmon eggs from other countries. It was just a matter of time.

When Alaska banned fish farms, the top reason was to avoid disease spreading to our wild stocks. What was at stake was no mystery: Norway had already killed entire populations of wild fish due to parasites and disease introduced by imported salmon. Our state wisely chose to avoid such risk; yet folks to the south of us put us squarely in the path of what Alaskans feared the most.
As the representative of Alaska fishermen who rely exclusively on the health of wild fish, I am appalled by the near-silence of the Canadian agencies responsible to protect them. I've reserved comment in hopes that they would send some signal to the public, and West Coast fishermen in particular, that Canada is proactively engaged with a "fish first" attitude.

On Friday Oct. 21 - more than a week after ISA was detected in B.C. salmon - Canadian officials issued a press release devoid of any sense of urgency. They announced they will run more tests, wait several weeks for results, and only then, if additional testing reveals ISA, stakeholders will be convened to, "identify and take appropriate next steps." Really?!
It's sound practice to verify a diagnostic result, particularly one with significant ramifications. What seems beyond the pale is the decision to wait weeks before convening the experts to develop a plan of action. In fact, it's incredible there wasn't a contingency plan in place long before the first farmed fish was placed in an ocean net pen.
At minimum, you'd think the B.C. government would try to reassure us, by pointing to the experts they immediately pulled together to brainstorm how to evaluate the extent of the problem and methods to contain and control it. Instead, in his opening response to questions from the B.C. Legislature, Minister of Agriculture and Lands Don McRae quipped, "Well, we've got another example of spinning media headlines and fearmongering from the Opposition." Not exactly reassuring.
Dr. Frederick Kibenge, who diagnosed ISA in British Columbia, has both studied and diagnosed ISA outbreaks; he runs an ISA specialty lab. How strange that fisheries officials play down the findings of this respected scientist instead of fasttracking an investigation.

We've also read statements that minimize the threat to Pacific salmon. Yet Dr. Kibenge isolated ISA in Pacific coho salmon at a Chilean farm, where large numbers of coho died from the disease. Dr. James Winton, fish health section chief of the U.S. Geological Survey's Western Fisheries Research Center, has conducted much of the research on the topic. Winton has described last week's ISA finding as a "disease emergency" with "global implications."

Canadian officials need to explain to the public precisely what they are doing to monitor and enforce biological safeguards on the fish-farm industry. Canada and the U.S. have a responsibility to protect the wild public resources they hold in trust for us all.
I have no desire to strike fear into the hearts of the public or the fishermen I represent. However, we need transparency and assurance that appropriate steps are underway. If the Canadian government has information to quell our concerns, we have not yet heard it. If they have an effective plan of action, we have not yet seen it. How do fisheries professionals in Canada and along the West Coast intend to safeguard wild fish and fishing communities from the introduction of foreign disease strains now, and into the future? We're listening.
Dale Kelley is executive director of the Alaska Trollers Association.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/virus+serious+what+doing+about/5632076/story.html


.... The part about the coho is what troubles me the most.
They (Wild Coho) could be we wiped off the coast given enough time and foot dragging by the powers that be.
GLG

 

[GLG]

"We continue to urge the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to complete and release results of their testing as soon as possible. Our farmers could be negatively affected if this virus is here - as research shows that Atlantic salmon are highly susceptible to the disease while Pacific salmon are relatively immune to it."
http://www.salmonfarmers.org/more-results-create-more-questions-suspect-isa-findings


BC Fish feedlots are saying that ISAv does not affect Coho. Perhaps they should read this paper and take a good look in the mirror to see what they have done to my ocean.

Isolation and identification of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) from Coho salmon in Chile


Frederick S. B. Kibenge[SUP]1,[/SUP]*, Oscar N. Gárate[SUP]2[/SUP], Gerald Johnson[SUP]1[/SUP], Roxana Arriagada[SUP]4[/SUP], Molly J. T. Kibenge[SUP]2[/SUP], Dorota Wadowska[SUP]3[/SUP]


[SUP]1[/SUP]Department of Pathology and Microbiology,
[SUP]2[/SUP]AVC Inc., and
[SUP]3[/SUP]EM Laboratory, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4P3, Canada
[SUP]4[/SUP]Aquatic Health Chile Ltda, Benavente 952, Puerto Montt, Chile
*E-mail: kibenge@upei.ca
ABSTRACT: The isolation of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) from asymptomatic wild fish species including wild salmon, sea trout and eel established that wild fish can be a reservoir of ISAV for farmed Atlantic salmon. This report characterizes the biological properties of ISAV isolated from a disease outbreak in farmed Coho salmon in Chile and compares it with ISAV isolated from farmed Atlantic salmon in Canada and Europe. The virus that was isolated from Coho salmon tissues was initially detected with ISAV-specific RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction). The ability of the virus to grow in cell culture was poor, as cytopathology was not always conspicuous and isolation required passage in the presence of trypsin. Virus replication in cell culture was detected by RT-PCR and IFAT (indirect fluorescent antibody test), and the virus morphology was confirmed by positive staining electron microscopy. Further analysis of the Chilean virus revealed similarities to Canadian ISAV isolates in their ability to grow in the CHSE-214 cell line and in viral protein profile. Sequence analysis of genome segment 2, which encodes the viral RNA polymerase PB1, and segment 8, which encodes the nonstructural proteins NS1 and NS2, showed the Chilean virus to be very similar to Canadian strains of ISAV. This high sequence similarity of ISAV strains of geographically distinct origins illustrates the highly conserved nature of ISAV proteins PB1, NS1 and NS2 of ISAV. It is noteworthy that ISAV was associated with disease outbreaks in farmed Coho salmon in Chile without corresponding clinical disease in farmed Atlantic salmon. This outbreak, which produced high mortality in Coho salmon due to ISAV, is unique and may represent the introduction of the virus to a native wild fish population or a new strain of ISAV.

http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v45/n1/p9-18/
full text in PDF format
http://www.int-res.com/articles/dao/45/d045p009.pdf

GLG
as hell.

 

[Charlie]

That study was: Submitted: November 14, 2000; Accepted: January 24, 2001
Proofs received from author(s): April 30, 2001

IMHO, DFO is just stalling for time and trying to come up with a game plan right now. I can't wait to see how the fish farms and DFO try to cover this one up! But, I assure they will!

Chinook "farmed" salmon have been dying for years, can you say since the mid 80s? Do some reseach on what DFO "calls" SLV. It seems according to DFO, and DFO only BC "farmed" Chinook are the only ones in the world that has that disease. DFO dropped their research? Maybe they got to close in determining that SLV is really ISAv? I would LOVE to hear Dr. Kristie Miller's comments on that one. Oh forget, DFO dropped the funding on her research when she asked to sample the "fish farms"?

Here is another thought for you... The "fish farms" quietly removed their "farmed" Chinook off the wild migration routes. Why? FYI... There have been "many" known outbreaks of both "BKD" and what DFO calls "SLV" in "farmed" Chinook. Here is one for you - both display the same symptoms as ISAv. Without any further testing for ISAv all those "farmed" salmon DFO has been telling everyone was SLV and BDK, could have actually been ISAv? Any bets on that?

 

[Gunsmith]

No bets Charlie. I am rethinking my saltwater fishing investment and considering just sticking with freshwater as the DFO does not manage that area and there is a better chance that type of fishing will be around a lot longer.

That study was: Submitted: November 14, 2000; Accepted: January 24, 2001
Proofs received from author(s): April 30, 2001

IMHO, DFO is just stalling for time and trying to come up with a game plan right now. I can't wait to see how the fish farms and DFO try to cover this one up! But, I assure they will!

Chinook "farmed" salmon have been dying for years, can you say since the mid 80s? Do some reseach on what DFO "calls" SLV. It seems according to DFO, and DFO only BC "farmed" Chinook are the only ones in the world that has that disease. DFO dropped their research? Maybe they got to close in determining that SLV is really ISAv? I would LOVE to hear Dr. Kristie Miller's comments on that one. Oh forget, DFO dropped the funding on her research when she asked to sample the "fish farms"?

Here is another thought for you... The "fish farms" quietly removed their "farmed" Chinook off the wild migration routes. Why? FYI... There have been "many" known outbreaks of both "BKD" and what DFO calls "SLV" in "farmed" Chinook. Here is one for you - both display the same symptoms as ISAv. Without any further testing for ISAv all those "farmed" salmon DFO has been telling everyone was SLV and BDK, could have actually been ISAv? Any bets on that?

 

[chris73]

I wouldn't judge so quickly, Gunsmith! Until last year it was the BC Government that had the sole responsibility for fish farms in our ocean and they were the ones who invited them here and protected them all along...

 

[Gunsmith]

I hear ya Chris, I was was really comparing the fact that the freshwater fisheries even though not secure have a wee better chance of survival.

I wouldn't judge so quickly, Gunsmith! Until last year it was the BC Government that had the sole responsibility for fish farms in our ocean and they were the ones who invited them here and protected them all along...

 

[Englishman]

That article in the Vancouver Sun by the representative of the Alaska Trollers association is great. While many of us have written letters and e-mails to our MLAs/MPs in response to the ISA outbreak (and before that!) us recreational fishers are a small, disorganised and underfunded sector and are barely noticed, let alone listened to. But a few salvo's and some heat from Alaska could really make a difference. As others have noted on other threads around this topic, we may yet have cause to thank the Americans.......

 

[Little Hawk]

Agreed English. And I say again: It would be the ultimate irony if it was indeed the Americans - who buy 9 out of 10 farm fish we grow in our waters - that bring this floating catastrophe to its knees.

 

[Charlie]

Oh, I believe Alaska, Oregon, and Washington are going to finally get envolved with this!

You want the "ultimate irony" I am hoping for! That the Pacific salmon are only going to be non-fatal carriers and they pass this back and give every frigg'n Atlantic salmon their ISAV. Right back to them and that kills them all... Now that IMHO would be justice!

 

[chris73]

Where the hell is sockeyefry these days, not spouting his bs any more!

There is a rumour that he came down with a suspicious abscess on his belly and subsequently a large leech like parasite had to be removed from his testicles. After a semi-successful slice treatment combined with a strikt pellets diet he is said to recover in a fish farm free environment in Fjord Alaska to prepare for an upcoming Lie Management Course for wannabe executives and mediocre managers of the Fish Farm Industry. Unfortunately for him, this course held in Ottawa is solidly booked out by DFO and members of the BC Government. Bummer!

 

[searun]

yep, listened to Alexandra being interviewed today on CKNW. Looks like we have reliable research, which is now being "verified" by DFO....which one could take to mean "covered up." Her interview was balanced, stating we need more samples to confirm and these are only preliminary findings. Nonetheless this is a potentially deadly situation for wild pacific salmon as it is showing the disease crossing over to a number of species at various stages of life cycle. Perhaps this is the final nail in the coffin for open net pen operations...time for the salmon farming industry to change over to closed containment. If we allow this to continue its like playing russian roulette with a fully loaded gun.

 

[cuttlefish]

ISA virus is serious, so what's B.C. doing about it?

B.C. is taking matters into hand without any government support or advice.
9 samples were collected from 2 NVI small stream hatcheries today. The samples are now in my fridge waiting for shipping instructions from Alex.
Urging other small hatchery opeartions to do the same. Time to take matters into our own hands.

 

[hambone]

http://www.timescolonist.com/Inquir...ars+virus+affecting+salmon/5661524/story.html

 

[Little Hawk]

Good one Chris! Nearly fell off my seat.

Global News (Debra Hope) did a good spot on this outbreak last night and should be commended. The more people learn about this the sooner demands for 'heads to roll' will escalate, both in the Province and at the very core of the Harper government.

Campbell's sudden exodus to his cushy UK appointment couldn't have been timed better. Did he smell this coming down the pipe and did he know damn well that many fingers were soon to be pointing at him?

Once these pricks are out of our water, the 'big-deal' for me would be the culmination of an investigation revealing who got paid what to turn their backs on this despicable industry. Then we can all watch them get hung-out-to-dry!

Need to put the bug in some nosy reporters ear...

 

[Weff]

Alexandra is amazing, what dedication!! This women needs to be recognized in a big way. Can't say enough about her!! Would like to see her win an environmental prize of some kind like the Goldman Environmental Prize or something else. I'm going to do a little more research on who can nominate for that award for N. America, then send them some emails regarding her nomination. She so deserves it.....I'd love to see her get $150,000.

 

[searun]

Not so fast. We should be insisting on good scientific study to ensure this isn't an incidental finding to be ignored as was suggested in the media technical briefing. That said, even if there is ultimately no cause for concern the real issue is we dodged a bullet. The problem with open containment pens is when you place that many hosts in a crowded enclosure you are creating the perfect opportunity for pathogens to propagate and mutate - it is just a matter of time.

 

[Charlie]

Deny! Deny! Deny! At least, until you can’t Deny anymore! Spin doctors at work!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011
ISA test results inconclusive

The BC Salmon Farmers are crowing over today’s media conference announcing the results of further testing for the ISA virus in Pacific salmon. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the salmon farming industry’s public relations division – aka DFO Aquaculture Branch – tried their best to sound neutral and unbiased but were clearly pleased to report their findings to date. But not so fast (spin) doctors.

If you listened to the first few minutes of the media conference call there was nothing but good news. According to Dr. Con Kiley, Director of National Aquatic Animal Health with CFIA, there are no confirmed cases of ISA in either wild or farmed salmon in BC, all the samples received were thoroughly tested, all tests were negative and basically, we can all relax. There is no cause for concern.

That would be great news. ISA in the Pacific ocean could have tragic and truly devastating consequences if the disease were to mutate or prove to be virulent. Today’s announcement from the CFIA, DFO and the BC government was very reassuring – up to about the 10 minute mark.

I started getting very worried again when Kiley noted that “these supplementary results must be considered inconclusive because of the poor quality of the samples.” Say what? Inconclusive?

The spin-doctoring started seriously unravelling when a reporter from the Seattle Times asked if Canadian government officials would be willing to share raw samples with US researchers if they wanted to do their own testing (audio credit: www.ecoshock.net). Hmmm – seems our friends to the south are as suspicious of DFO and CFIA’s cosy partnership with the fish farming industry as Canadians are.

Peter King, who heads up the Moncton DFO laboratory that did the re-testing of the samples responded (and I quote): “For the most part these samples are either partially – and I say over the half way mark – or totally, totally degraded. Sharing those samples would not be good science. They are in poor condition, we received them in poor condition and moving them anywhere else is not going to help anybody.” He talks about the storage of the samples and the degradation of RNA, then goes on to say: “That’s why we call things inconclusive – because the degradation is so bad you cannot form an opinion from a test standpoint as to whether or not you are capable or not capable. The fact that they come up negative doesn’t really mean anything because they are so badly degraded.”

The negative test “doesn’t really mean anything”?

CFIA’s Kiley tries to regain control of the spin: “Or that you get a result that’s positive”
King acknowledges “That’s a possibility too – that’s why we have to go to confirmatory testing...”

So given the huge uncertainty, surely our federal agencies are now working hard to get to the bottom of this? If the samples are poor quality, they must have a plan to immediately secure more and better samples? If the results are inconclusive and they can’t categorically rule out the presence of ISA then they’ll be spending sleepless nights putting together a testing program to make certain our wild salmon are not exposed to this disease.

Dr. Kiley advises DFO and CFIA are “assessing current testing levels for ISA in both wild and aquaculture populations in BC” and will “increase surveillance activities as required”. But they are acting quickly, right? Kiley replies there are ideal times of year for tests and based on the species and where they want to test they will decide what will be done and when.
So the spin will be ‘no ISA in BC’ while the reality is the tests are totally inconclusive, ISA might be present or it might not, the salmon farmers continue to do their own sampling and testing (but are ‘sharing’ the results of their in-house fish health audits with the Province) and the Canadian government agencies are going to move at a glacial pace before doing anything because after all – what’s the rush? It’s only our wild salmon and the continued functioning of our Pacific coast ecosystem that’s on the line.

At the end, a reporter introduces herself as Roxanne from the Yukon News and asks if there is further testing done, would it come north and perhaps include the Yukon River? Dr. Kiley replies: “No, we do our investigation in Canadian waters.” Now I’m reassured – Canada’s best are on the job.

Cath Stewart is manager of Living Oceans Society's Salmon Farming Campaign
http://livingoceanssociety.blogspot.com/

 

[Little Hawk]

Met Cathy a few years back at a conference. She's a seriously dedicated individual and like a lot of us who learned many years ago about the serious issues with this business, she is passionate about getting them out of our water.

"...move at a glacial pace..." that's the DFO alright when it comes to the stewardship of Pacific salmon!