Tuesday 8 November 2016

Salmon Farm Diseases - Norway, Updated Nov 10, 2016

In the Fish Health Report: 2015, released in 2016, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute's report may be found here: http://wwweng.vetinst.no/eng/content/view/full/13909.html.

It comes as a PDF of 75 pages, from a pro-industry research group, so it errs on the side of fish farms. Having said this, here is a summary of the summary:

1. Lice are the worst problem, with drug resistance, and deaths due to treatments, and handling of fish leading to mortalities. Medicine use is high.

Quote: "...there are many example of high mortality caused by treatment for this parasite. Fish that were already weak before treatment are particularly at risk. Alternative treatments for salmon lice that are not based on drugs are being developed, but many of these involve handling the fish, which can also lead to stress and mortality. Every year, salmon lice and their treatment cost the Norwegian aquaculture industry a great deal."

2. Pancreatic Disease (PD) is the worst viral disease. There are two epidemics occurring. SAV 2 and SAV 3 predominate. 137 new sites with disease found.

3. Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA, often called the worst disease) was found at 15 sites. In addition to salmon found with disease, rainbow trout have also been infected.

4. Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI) which kills salmon is common. 135 sites had HSMI, fewer than 2014 - whoopy ding.

5. Piscine Rheovirus (PRV) has now been linked to HSMI, being found in fish that have HSMI in 2010. The 'dark spots' the virus leaves cost the industry.

Quote: "the cost of dark spots in fish fillets was estimated to be NOK 500 million."

6. Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS), is a serious disease of the heart that affects farmed fish usually after they are put to sea. In 2015, CMS was diagnosed at 105 sites.

7. Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN) that kills salmon was identified at 30 sites.

8. Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD - a disease in crisis outbreak in Scotland.) seems to be okay (by Norwegian veterinary standards).

9. Bacterial ulcers continue to cause significant problems in Norway.

10. Furunculosis - in clearner fish, lumpsuckers, has significantly increased. You will recall that Grieg Seafood, 'craft' Skuna Bay salmon in BC had deaths from Furunculosis in 2016 in BC.

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Now, the overall tone of this is problem, what problem? This is what you get from farmed fish and we will treat the fish that need treating. This completely disregards that the wild fish die, and the public who has to live with fish farms comes to overwhelmingly reject them, just as has happened in BC. And, of course, in Norway.


10 different diseases, with no talk of taking farms out of the water. Little wonder that all the wild fish die in their presence.

Also, in several places the report says the stats are low, for one or another reason. Here, for example: "Where non-notifiable diseases are concerned, the Veterinary Institute’s data alone may not provide a complete picture of the national situation. Many private companies also analyses samples and maintain their own databases. We cannot be certain about the extent of such “hidden” figures, but we can say that this year, we have been sent data from a total of 593 salmonid farms, as against 757 last year and 704 in 2013."

In other words 22.8% lower data, for the data that is kept.


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