ISA Testing for Salmon - Dec 3, 2011 - Updated Dec 8, 2011

The problem with ISA testing is that the testing systems: the BC Province's, DFO's and the CFIA's do not give out the data so that one can verify for themselves what the results say. These bodies need to make these documents - the data tables - public. When that is done and seen to be transparent, and is believable, then the public can have faith once more. The issue is issuing press releases rather than the proof. As some of the press releases do not agree with the published data, they make the government bodies look bad.

On the other hand, the Fred Kibenge lab and the Are Nyland lab testing comes with a written statement about the tests performed and also the data table for all fish tissue tested. And the comments made are illuminating. For example, on the sockeye fry from Rivers Inlet, Nyland says that the samples were degraded (as they were not collected for ISA testing reasons) but that the one positive result, lead him to say that he thinks it likely that ISA is in BC. DFO says no, but produces no data.

There have been seven Pacific salmon tested positive for ISA this fall by Kibenge and Nylund. DFO says the results from these experts are false positives. They also claim that the 2002-2003 paper by Molly Kibenge et al of more than 100 salmon along the BC and Alaska coast are also all false positives. DFO has produced no data to support its false positive assertion.

The same can be said of the Province's testing. A summary table of results indicates that 4726 farmed salmon all tested negative for ISA and these results are on the Cohen Commission record. But data tables on the individual testings have not been produced. Providing the actual data would help restore confidence in the system.

Until DFO, CFIA and BC produce their data tables then one has to go with the expert labs information. I have referenced the expert testing tables in a previous post: http://fishfarmnews.blogspot.com/2011/11/key-bc-news-isa-disease-in-bc-nov-28.html. Please read them and draw your own conclusions.

This link takes you to a good summary piece on the tests for ISA: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/back-fiche/2011/20111108-eng.htm.

This link gives you access to more on ISA testing, including the PCR test: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/back-fiche/2011/20111202-eng.htm.

Alexandra Morton has done a good summary post on ISA and testing in BC to date - Dec 8, 2011. I suggest you read it: http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/.