Fish Farms Spread Viruses/Diseases Around the World, Updated Feb 11, 2020

Chapter 6 - Determinants of Emergence of Viral Diseases in Aquaculture

Read this article by Fred Kibenge, who was one of only two fish farm virus shops in the world, until the CFIA plotted his demise at the OIE: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128015735000061.


Here is the abstract to this piece, which is chapter from a book on the spread of viruses and their diseases by fish farms:

Aquaculture, the intensive water rearing of fish, mollusks and crustaceans, remains the world’s fastest growing sector producing food of animal origin. This high-density rearing of aquatic animals involves substantial animal stress, which facilitates diseases. Moreover, the burgeoning international aquaculture expansion and expanding global trade in live aquatic animals and their products facilitate long-distance geographical redistribution of aquatic animal species and their viruses. This chapter presents a context for understanding the drivers responsible for the emergence of viral diseases in aquaculture and fisheries. The most recent definition of an “emerging infectious disease” is used to group emerging aquatic animal viruses into eight categories: (1) a virus introduced in a new host and new geographic area; (2) a virus infecting the same host, but introduced in a new geographic area; (3) enzootic virus with increased pathogenicity in the same host (manifesting as increased incidence or more severe disease); (4) enzootic virus with increased host range; (5) enzootic virus with expanded geographic range; (6) increased awareness; (7) improved diagnosis and surveillance and (8) newly discovered viral cause of existing disease. An emerging aquatic animal viral disease may fit into several of these categories depending on the sequence of events involved and geographical area concerned. The drivers (attributes or causal factors) of emerging viruses can be categorized into virus drivers, animal host drivers, environment drivers and anthropogenic drivers. The interplay of these drivers manifests into new or previously unrecognized viral diseases or reemerging viral diseases in aquaculture and fisheries. A separate distinct category is introduced for those viral diseases whose incidence is decreasing as a result of anthropogenic means or through natural means because this is the ultimate goal of disease control and prevention.

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Here in BC, DFO has refused scientific evidence on harm and killing of wild salmon by PRV four times now:  https://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2020/01/the-virus-prv-brings-out-the-worst-in-dfo.html?fbclid=IwAR1RVl5HttXekuttvJChNOwu51SufY3oxLT3uc7hZ_TScKjBL5nyr0siMuE.

Global Aquaculture Loses One Third to One Half of all Production to Disease

I post once again the seminal work of Dr. Fred Kibenge on global losses for all of aquaculture: one third to one half, some $32 - $49 Billion.

The reason for giving you this link is that the OIE copy of it has been removed from the internet, presumably after the Canadian CFIA asked for his being de-accredited, and the OIE did so.

The link is: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EKNKFOjnazZcKaOMnYa2Hwek4b6tCnCaPY3B9htJYtE/present?slide=id.p92.

Control over the narrative to do with fish farming rests in the hands of government departments that have high budgets. The CFIA has an annual budget of $740 Million. It simply ignores narratives that don't agree with it.

I repost this link because, like the Cohen Commission - his entire website - was deleted by DFO and it only resurrected it because journalists and environmentalists complained so much that it brought back an archival version.

I suggest you take this list and keep it aside for the time when you are needing to have a reference for the disease problems of aquaculture.