Key Document: CFIA Testing of Wild Pacific Salmon - Alexandra Morton

I will shortly put up a post on why we should be concerned about the CFIA recently analyzing more than 7000 Pacific salmon and finding no ISA or IPN. We would like to be happy, but there are unanswered questions from the Cohen Commission, that need a public reply.

However, the Alexandra Morton post on the specific scientific tests used by the CFIA does such a good, detailed, thorough job, you should read it. The link is: http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2014/11/dear-cfia-what-test-did-you-use.html.

I will shortly go through the Cohen Commission fish farm disease testimony, which is evidentiary and thus, cannot be walked away from by DFO, the CFIA or others. The gist of the discussion among the experts on salmon/farmed salmon diseases, Doctors Miller, Kibenge and Nylund, cast doubt on the ability of the CFIA/DFO Moncton lab to find ISA. Each of these labs found ISA in BC.

And Miller's Viral Signature work looks at the phenotype of disease rather than PCR testing and culture of viruses. Some of the so affected Fraser sockeye died of pre-spawn mortality on their way up the river. As much as 90% of some run subcomponents died.

Also, several labs have found ISA in BC, so there is a need for an independent, reliable lab with no financial or other ties to fish farms, to do this testing. One main recommendation of the Cohen Commission was that DFO be stripped of its conflicting role of supporting fish farms, and to concentrate on wild salmon recovery. The CFIA also admitted it did not want to find disease. This is on the record. Just go read volume three.

The CFIA's post on the testing is here:. Read: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=902639. They are going to look at farmed salmon next. It is impressive until you start peeling back the layers.