ISA in Canada - 2013, 2014

Sadly, here is the ISA in Canada in the past year and a half. ISA is the worst disease of farmed fish. It originated in Norway, where Marine Harvest, Cermaq and Grieg Seafood are from. It was a freshwater virus that fish farms picked up and became a saltwater virus.

Then it has been spread to most of the rest of the world, for example, Chile, where Aquagen took it for the other Norwegian companies, and then sued the Norwegian scientist Are Nylund (one of two global labs for determining ISA) for determining that it had transferred it to the South Pacific Ocean on salmon eggs. This is why the world knows that Aquagen took it to Chile as Nylund was not found to be incorrect, and news coverage followed the case. Had there been no case, no one would have known it had been transferred, fish farms are that secretive. Aquagen made a mistake.

Chile then had a $2 billion fish farm meltdown - a quarter of a billion dead fish, and local tribes people lost 13,000 to 26, 000 jobs - and has never been clear of ISA since 2008. Norway has had ISA since the '80s when the fish farms propagated it. For example, July 10, 2014, ISA was identified in Norway: http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/23571/cermaq-detects-isa-virus-at-langyhovden-farm.

You will note, below, where the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says certain strains are not known to cause disease. There are two things to be said about this: the CFIA was shown not to be able to find ISA due to its lab shortcomings during the Cohen Commission, and they have simply ignored the 1200 page document; and ISA is propagated on fish, reproducing until it turns into a virulent strain. No fish farms, no ISA in our oceans.

ISA kills wild Pacific salmon and should not have been allowed into BC by DFO in the 1980s and 1990s. There is plenty of science now that confirms, sadly, that ISA is in BC - Kibenge, Nylund, Miller, for example. Only DFO, the CFIA and fish farms maintain the fiction that ISA is not in BC.

The global pattern for fish farms is to deny ISA is present, and then finally, when they can claim nothing differently: "Oh, well, darn, ISA is here now, we'll just have to learn to live with it." We in BC expect more of our governments and government agencies, but we are not getting it.

The CFIA budget, for example, is $740 million. It can simply ignore a small $26 Million commission that took three years and the December diseases testimony - this is in the transcripts and video - into fish farm diseases, and the CFIA shortcomings, it's poor Kim Klotins, cornered into having to admit the CFIA doesn't want to find ISA because it ruins the export possibilities of farmed salmon. It just ignores this on-the-record evidence of its refusal to admit ISA is in BC.

2013

Dec 6      NL*
Dec 5      NL*
Nov 7      NL
Oct 25     NB*
Oct 25     NB*
Oct 18     NB*
Oct 10     NB*
July 26     NL*
July 15     NB*
July 4       NL
July 4       NL
Jun  5       NL
May 29     NL*
May 29     NL*
Apr 12      NL&L*
Apr 12      NL&L*
Jan 10      NB*

2014

Jun 23     NB*
Jun 23     NB*
Jun 23     NS*
May 27   NB*
Feb 2      NB*

Here is the CFIA link for you to look for yourself: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/aquatic-animals/diseases/reportable/2014/eng/1339174937153/1339175227861.

New Aquaculture Regulations in Canada - Very Sad for Wild Pacific Salmon, Updated December 4, 2017

From thefishsite, which is a good global source of news on fish farms. It is a sad day in BC that DFO in Ottawa well over 3000 miles away, is bringing in new regulations to allow the Norwegian fish farms to set up in our pristine ocean wilderness. With some comments:

CANADA - Minister Gail Shea of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has announced new national Aquaculture Activities Regulations, which she says will modernise and streamline the regulatory environment for aquaculture in Canada.

1. The problem here is that fish farms like to say they operate under the most stringent environmental laws in the world, in every country they operate in. Marine Harvest is in 22 countries, and so the claim is not true. If you look back in recent posts here, you will find that the problem is that the Norwegian parents of the BC industry are moving into the USA and, own much of the Chilean industry and they will eliminate most of the BC industry's market, as 85% goes to the USA. Canadians won't eat farmed fish.

Jeremy Dunn, Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association, commented: “Salmon farmers in British Columbia have been asking for a modernised regulation of our farming practices for a number of years and are happy to see the Minister’s announcement.

2. Just after companies make the claim of most stringent laws they come right back saying the laws are too strict and they have to be weakened, or jobs will fly. This is what is happening in Canada. Look at the Nancy Greene posts in the past couple of months on this site. The BC industry is flat-lined.

“We expect the new regulation will formalise our current farming methods, encourage positive environmental practices, reduce red tape, and bring all government departments and agencies onto the same page. We look forward to the next steps ahead in formalising the new regulation.”

3. Look at this report on what the Norwegian companies are doing in their own country, Norway: http://www.nmf.no/files/dokumenter/PDF/ORIGINAL_LAKSERAPPORTEN_LOWRES.pdf. One thing, they produce more sewage than the entire human population of Norway. The wild fish in the sea are so 'lifeless' that when caught they have to be starved for awhile before processing, and bring a lower price, because they are so bloated and oily with fish farm feed, that falls from the netpens. Do read the sewage pages, p6-8.

There are currently 120 licensed salmon farms in British Columbia (BC), with about 60 per cent active at any one time, producing an annual harvest of 70,000 metric tons. Salmon raised in BC waters is the province’s largest agricultural export and accounts for C$800 million towards the British Columbia economy. Salmon aquaculture is a diversified industry, which results in 6,000 jobs (direct, indirect and induced) in coastal communities, over 20 per cent of which are held by First Nations peoples.

4. There are 125 licences in BC, with 64% with fish, 75 - 80 farms. The best recent year is 83,000 metric tonnes. The BC Stats report, the only trustable stats, says that fish farms, with all of aquaculture, contributes a measly $61.9 M to the BC economy, that's all. There are only 1700 jobs across the economy for fish farms, in multiplier. The actual employment is a very tiny 795 jobs. That is how insignificant they are to the BC economy. Sport fishing is, more than $936 Million GPP contribution and 8400 jobs. My post on the BC Stats Report:  http://fishfarmnews.blogspot.ca/2013/02/sport-fishing-how-we-tack-up-feb-6-2013.html. 

Fish farms revenue is less than half, and only 21% of the total, at $469 Million.

BC salmon farmers have well established markets for products in the United States and Asia and are working to meet a growing demand. Farmed seafood accounts for 50 per cent of current global consumption and the United Nations estimates that aquaculture will supply close to 75 per cent of all seafood by 2030.

5. As before, it's 85% to the USA and that leaves only 15%, so Asian markets, that are growing their own seafood, are small. The BC's industry sales in the USA will shortly be pretty much eliminated by their own parent companies from Norway that have just had a 26% tariff taken off to the States, and will both sell into the market from Norway, against the interests of their own operations in BC, and is setting up shop in the USA right now. The NOAA report on fish farms sounds like they gave it to Cermaq, Marine Harvest, Grieg Seafood and the Norwegian government to write. The BC industry is in much trouble. And, the spot prices on salmon have just dipped for the second quarter of 2014, making things even tougher.

- See more at: http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/23536/british-columbias-salmon-farmers-welcome-new-regulations#sthash.Qy39f4D5.dpuf

Here is an updated list of legal issues, in 2017. There are more posts as well, so cruise forward for them:  http://fishfarmnews.blogspot.ca/2017/11/laws-and-policies-to-do-with-pacific.html.