Monday, October 24, 2011

State monitors ISA report, but suggests little risk

Here's a press release the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

Oct. 21, 2011

ADF&G monitoring reported evidence of disease exposure in British Columbia sockeye salmon

JUNEAU — The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is closely monitoring and evaluating a recent report that samples taken from sockeye salmon in British Columbia show exposure to infectious salmon anemia virus. The test results, reported by researchers from Simon Fraser University, are based on a very limited sample of sockeye salmon smolts from Rivers Inlet in central British Columbia. The smolts were not exhibiting any outward signs of infection.

Research on ISA indicates that the risk to Alaska's salmon stocks is low. Pacific salmon have been shown to be mostly resistant to ISA, which is a flu-like disease of Atlantic salmon. ISA does not transmit to humans and is not a human health or food safety issue.

"Right now, there is a lot of misinformation out there about this finding and this disease," said Ted Meyers, ADF&G fisheries scientist. "The Rivers Inlet results are being analyzed through additional testing in a second laboratory to rule out any false positives. At this point we are concerned, but do not want to overreact as we await more definitive information from Canada."

Live Atlantic salmon are not allowed to be imported into Alaska. However, if the virus is confirmed present in British Columbia migratory Pacific salmon or the Atlantic salmon stocks prevalent in British Columbia fish farms, there is concern over potential impacts to Alaska salmon stocks.

"The department's pathology lab is in contact with agencies in Canada and will continue monitoring the situation," said Cora Campbell, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. "We will take all necessary measures to protect our stocks."

Additional information on ISA and the reports from British Columbia can be found here. The department will keep Alaskans informed as additional information becomes available.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

ask the fishfarm crowd why there are so many problems in WA and BC and you won't get an answer. the natural stocks of the Norwegian coast as well as most of Scotland was dead decades ago

only a matter of time before alaska gets hurt-pull the cages onto land before we devastate the rest of the west coast

Anonymous said...

Follow the money.

Wonder why Alaskan officials don't come out hard against the B.C. fish farms?

The large alaskan processors (read campaign contributors/lobbyists) have bought into that same fish farm industry, hedging their "bets". The processors win either way. They source from both wild and farm.

You wouldn't want to upset your contributors, now would you?

Anonymous said...

fishermen will be effected the most here if this thing gets out of hand. they need to jump all over ufa. you are right tho, ufa is really about anything but the fishermen.

Anonymous said...

100 million paid for humpies. fish farms are the way to go now.

Anonymous said...

Speaking on behalf of all major processors, the fishermen should be happy that we pay you anything and not invest wholly into fish farms. Understand your position in the big picture.

Anonymous said...

the fishermen should take that big season and invest in farms so they can have it both ways too. sbs already has nsraa, so the majors are lagging...again.

Anonymous said...

Everyone knows the major processors thought mad cow didn't transmit to humans too, just find another ADF&G biologist where political science always trumps fisheries science.

Let's just all build a State Sponsored Hatchery System, where;

"We will take NO necessary steps to protect our wild stocks."

Mad Cow, shown best with ADF&G's hatchery practices and it's employment requirements for any biologist working for decades using misinformation from ADF&G.

False Positives and True Negatives, shown next to any ADFG Hatchery, with those native stocks next door wiped off the map, after NO necessary measures from Cora Campbells Dream Teams.

The Fishermens Fall, starring Cora Campbell at ADF$G, using those "very limited samples" from Campbell River, and Ripple Rock!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell_River,_British_Columbia

Anonymous said...

"ADF&G biologist and political science" seems to be the problem up here in the Norton Sound where the salmon stocks are declining at a pretty fast rate.

Anyway, there was a rural legend going back about 20 years that any type of salmon enhancement for the Norton Sound would endanger the "wild stocks" by bringing in those diseases from raising salmon. The fear setters neglected to let the uninformed people know that the salmon diseases were coming from salmon farms.

Misinforming the public is a good control tactic. Besides that, it points the finger at the 'bad guy' leaving the real 'BAD GUYS' to continue their personal agendas.

Anonymous said...

Cite your sources Tim.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Tim. Just cause you say it's so almost proves it's not.