Piscine Reovirus - Fish Farms Can't Survive Without It

If you can believe it, DFO and fish farms sought to oppose being prevented from putting PRV fish into BC waters at fish farms. PRV causes HSMI. HSMI is the third worst fish farm disease. While the citizens of BC don't really care about farmed fish, they care as much about wild Pacific salmon as Quebec does French.

See the survey: https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-residents-consider-salmon-a-cultural-touchstone-survey-finds/article594381/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&.

Well, where are we one year later?

Here, from Morton's site, the Oct 24, 2017 post: http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/.

"In 2016, I won a lawsuit that revealed that the Marine Harvest Dalrymple Hatchery is infected with piscine reovirus, a highly contagious Norwegian salmon blood virus.   DFO was directed to test farm salmon for this virus before issuing transfer permits into ocean pens, however DFO refuses to do this. And so we are back in court. Marine Harvest provided the court with information that most of their hatcheries are infected with PRV and stated that they would be “severely” impacted if they can’t grow PRV infected fish in BC waters. What about people who don’t want to eat salmon infected with a salmon heart virus virus, people who rely on salmon, who now have no food fish. What about the much larger wild salmon economy? What about future generations?"

The obvious solution is to put fish farms on land, or they can go back to Norway where their own government grew so fed up with their environmental degradation that it stopped auctioning in-ocean licences three years ago, in 2014, and now gives out on-land licences for free, a $9- to $12-million subsidy based on the previous auction price. 

And what do Broughton Archipelago aboriginals think about putting PRV fish in their waters? They want the farms out - for good. They told John Horgan, Premier these things:

""We want fish farms out so we can survive – this is genocide,” hereditary leader Robert Mountain.
“Our council is demanding removal of salmon farms and that Larson Island farm not be restocked.” Elected chief Dicki Sumner.
“Marine Harvest, the only thing we want to hear from you is when you are leaving, so we can plan the celebration, no more studies or committees!” Hereditary leader Art Dick, Mamalilikulla.
“Killing salmon is the same as killing our people.” Hereditary leader Bill Cramner, Namgis.
“The people with vision know that fish farms are going to go,” hereditary and elected leader Don Svanvik, Namgis."