NE Canada's Growing Atlantic Salmon ISA Virus Problem: Hatcheries and net pen operations found to be infected.

Should consumers know the farmed salmon

they are buying are infected with the ISA Virus?

(Fish 424: Fish Health Management)

3 out of 5 begins to show a pattern.

For the 3rd time in 5 months Cooke Aquaculture's salmon in an open net pen operation in Newfoundland near Gaultois have been found to be infected with Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (ISA Virus). Symptoms of the infection are seen and described above, and in the picture below. If the fish are of marketable size, as the most recently harvested salmon were, these ISA virus infected fish are sold to the public but are not required to be labeled as being infected.

Now there's some beautiful pink salmon flesh.

(from FishFarmingExpert)

Infected hatchery facilities worrisome - "odd" "unheard of".

Earlier this month, preceding the most recent announcement and harvest by Cooke Aquaculture of ISA virus infected fish from Newfoundland's waters, was a reported an ISA virus infection in two upland and isolated hatcheries in nearby Nova Scotia. An estimated 750,000 fish had to be destroyed as they were too small to sell. UnderCurrentNews (an industry news publication) said fish in an isolated upland facility becoming infected is considered to be "odd" or even "unheard of". 

Not all infections created equally.

Of importance to note is the difference between the hatchery infection and the open net pen infection which Cooke Aquaculture is dealing with. The hatchery facility is isolated from the marine ecosystem whereas Cooke's infected fish are not separated from the marine ecosystem. That nexus of infection and spread of virus created by this open net pen operation is of far greater risk to the few remaining native Atlantic salmon in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Whether the hatchery infection may indicate a source further "upstream" is unknown at this time. What is known is native Atlantic salmon are at risk in Canada's waters from this virus, fatal in up to 90% of the salmon which contract it. The risk to people from eating the infected salmon is supposed to be minimal.