During the recent salmon virus scare, there has been a concerted effort by activists seeking to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt about B.C.'s aquaculture industry using a combination of half-truths and illogical claims.
But they are wrong. Just recently both the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) released statements in which they made it clear that using all accepted scientific methods available to them, they were unable to confirm the presence of the ISA virus in any samples tested.
The activist community claims the CFIA and DFO have worked together in an effort to cover up the presence of a virus which would have far reaching and devastating effects on wild salmon.
But to the scientific community this shows there is no virus. It could not be identified, and it could not be replicated in cell culture - a crucial part of the scientific process when it comes to testing for viruses.
Testing for viruses is something the CFIA takes seriously, does often and does well. Being responsible for the food safety of the entire country means that regardless of the industry involved they are able to enact measures when responding to a reportable virus.
If you consider the BSE (MadCow) and Avian Flu incidents you see that when drastic measures are needed, they are taken. But they have to be based on sound science.
In B.C., regular testing and high survival rates prove our fish are free of ISA, and our methodology and quality of sampling have been recognized as good science by some of Canada's top labs.
While it is true that the ISA virus can be deadly to farmed Atlantic salmon, the same has never been shown for Pacific species. The fear of mutation and potential devastation of wild stocks is unfounded, illogical and pure speculation.
And the thought that farmed B.C. salmon could be the only source of such a virus conveniently ignores over eight million Atlantics released into B.C. waters since 1905 in attempts to enhance sportfishing opportunities, and the fact that the first Atlantic salmon farm was located in Puget Sound nearly 15 years before Atlantics were farmed in B.C.
Finally, if there is a government conspiracy with aquaculture, why have we been hindered by excessive red-tape, government foot-dragging and endless buck-passing in our efforts to manage and grow our operations sustainably, using the best science and technology available?
Source:
canada.com
But they are wrong. Just recently both the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) released statements in which they made it clear that using all accepted scientific methods available to them, they were unable to confirm the presence of the ISA virus in any samples tested.
The activist community claims the CFIA and DFO have worked together in an effort to cover up the presence of a virus which would have far reaching and devastating effects on wild salmon.
But to the scientific community this shows there is no virus. It could not be identified, and it could not be replicated in cell culture - a crucial part of the scientific process when it comes to testing for viruses.
Testing for viruses is something the CFIA takes seriously, does often and does well. Being responsible for the food safety of the entire country means that regardless of the industry involved they are able to enact measures when responding to a reportable virus.
If you consider the BSE (MadCow) and Avian Flu incidents you see that when drastic measures are needed, they are taken. But they have to be based on sound science.
In B.C., regular testing and high survival rates prove our fish are free of ISA, and our methodology and quality of sampling have been recognized as good science by some of Canada's top labs.
While it is true that the ISA virus can be deadly to farmed Atlantic salmon, the same has never been shown for Pacific species. The fear of mutation and potential devastation of wild stocks is unfounded, illogical and pure speculation.
And the thought that farmed B.C. salmon could be the only source of such a virus conveniently ignores over eight million Atlantics released into B.C. waters since 1905 in attempts to enhance sportfishing opportunities, and the fact that the first Atlantic salmon farm was located in Puget Sound nearly 15 years before Atlantics were farmed in B.C.
Finally, if there is a government conspiracy with aquaculture, why have we been hindered by excessive red-tape, government foot-dragging and endless buck-passing in our efforts to manage and grow our operations sustainably, using the best science and technology available?
Source:
canada.com
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