BREAKING NEWS!
An unidentified virus has been detected at the recently "cracked" Namgis closed containment salmon farm on the banks of the Nimpkish River near Port McNeill on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Save Our Salmon refuses to name the virus affecting the $9 million facility but the smolts were sourced from disease-ridden Norwegian giant Marine Harvest.
Christine Hunt (the sister of Namgis First Nation Chief Bill Cranmer) posted on Facebook over the weekend:
"I spoke to Bill and yes there is a virus in their tank but being a half mile from the river and a filtration system watched around the clock, there is no danger of the virus spreading. I suggest you phone Mike Berry in Alert Bay...his number is in your telephone book."
Christine Hunt (an unsuccessful NDP candidate in the 2005 election and former senior adviser to NDP MLA Corky Evans - as well as a former Vice-president of the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters) replied when questioned further on whether the virus had been reported:
Earlier this morning, however, DFO denied knowledge of any health problems at the Namgis closed facility:
The NDP's MLA for North Island, Claire Trevena, is watching the Namgis closed containment facility with interest. Here's Claire's post on Facebook last week:
Save Our Salmon admitted yesterday (28 April) that the land based facility suffered from engineering problems with a cracked growout tank: "With regard to the tanks, one of the growout tanks was cracked during construction and has been repaired and tested," explained Jackie Hildering. "The facility is a fully enclosed, biosecure building that is a considerable distance from the River. Therefore, there can be no escapes – another advantage of land-based closed containment."
Three out of four escapes are caused by equipment failure.
Last year, another closed-containment facility near Campbell River also reported cracked tanks leading to the escape of farmed salmon.
In fact, DFO reports that out of 2,754 escapes reported in 2012 some 2,745 (99 per cent) were from the closed containment salmon farm:
"There are no known diseased fish in the facility and precautions have been undertaken in case there are unknowns," continued Hildering of Save Our Salmon in her email yesterday (28 April). "Tables 1 and 2 of the Pathogen Control Backgrounder indicate when fish would or would not be accepted. Concerns about viruses and bacteria emphasize why it is so necessary to prove the economics of closed containment where fish stresses can be reduced and contact with the environment can be controlled. All the measures taken to ensure this is the case, as well as the protocol around bacteria and viruses."
Tables 1 and 2 of the 'Pathogen Control Backgrounder' are enclosed in full below:
Read report in full via "Prevention of Pathogens" online here
The Times Colonist reported last month that: "The 23,000 smolts, provided by Marine Harvest Canada, weigh about 100 grams each. They will spend the first four months of their lives in quarantine."
In fact, at least two of the staff at the Namgis closed containment system worked for Marine Harvest so know all about infectious diseases and deadly viruses!
The "Prevention of Pathogens" report dated February 2013 also includes:
Why the Namgis First Nation would decide to farm an alien species (Atlantic salmon) rather than native Pacific salmon and source smolts from a Norwegian-owned corporation with a history of infectious disease problems is naive at best and negligent at worst.
"The ‘Namgis, known as the People of the Salmon, have 4,000 years of tradition tying them to Pacific salmon and it is with the hope of saving wild salmon that they are getting into the business of farming Atlantic salmon," reported The Times Colonist (19 March) when the Marine Harvest smolts were deposited into the closed containment facility last month.
In 2011, the New York Times reported how the ISA virus had been imported into Chile by the Norwegian egg company Aquagen - then part-owned by Marine Harvest and Cermaq.
In January 2013, Marine Harvest sold all their shares in Aquagen but not before spreading ISA in their Norwegian operations at Høgholmen in Bjugn.
Marine Harvest is known to be infected around the world with various viruses including Infectious Salmon Anaemia, Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation/Piscine Reovirus, Pancreas Disease/Salmonid Alphavirus and Amoebic Gill Disease.
In fact, Marine Harvest's 2012 Annual Report published just last week (26 April) named the biggest killers affecting their operations:
Last month, Alexandra Morton wrote to Marine Harvest Canada warning them of the spread of Piscine reovirus:
"Your fish in the Dalrymple Hatchery represent a significant threat to the wild salmon of British Columbia if they are placed in ocean net pens," wrote Alexandra Morton. Even in closed containment facilities the threat of a deadly virus spreading is very real.
Last year, Alexandra Morton also asked Marine Harvest:
Watch more via "Message to Marine Harvest Shareholders"
As of 11am this morning, the virus alert at the closed containment facility prompts more questions than answers but it seems certain that the funders of the $9 million project will be asking if the Namgis First Nation and Save Our Salmon knew of the virus BEFORE placing them in the cracked tanks (i.e. proceeded with the project despite knowing the risks). The sourcing of salmon from Marine Harvest - a company known to be infected with viruses - is akin to risking a blood transfusion from a HIV-infected person.
The difference in this case is that the decision was deliberate not accidental - the difference between manslaughter and premeditated murder. Indeed, the Namgis First Nation and Save Our Salmon were forewarned repeatedly that BC farmed salmon was infected with viruses:
Read more on the global spread of infectious diseases via "Fish Farmageddon: The Infectious Salmon Aquacalypse"
The unforgiveable decision to source Atlantic farmed salmon will come back to haunt the Namgis First Nation and Save Our Salmon.
Moreover, did the funders - including Sustainable Development Technology Canada ($2.65m); DFO’s Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program ($800K); Aboriginal Affairs Canada ($257K); the Coast Sustainability Trust ($113K); the Ritchie Foundation ($154,745); BC Hydro Power Smart ($143K) and the Tides Canada’s Salmon Aquaculture Innovation Fund ($3.17m) - put wild salmon at risk to save their $9 million investment? If funders ploughed ahead with full knowledge of the risks there's a posse of people aong with Marine Harvest's owner, billionnaire John Fredriksen (#87 on the Forbes Rich List worth $11.5 billion), with blood on their hands.
Meanwhile, the NDP's continued support for Marine Harvest and the BC salmon farming industry rings yet more alarm bells. Here's the NDP's Claire Trevena promoting Marine Harvest's disease-ridden facilities on a shameless PR photo shoot:
Read more via "Message to the NDP - Cut the Crap on Salmon Farming!" and "The NDP's Salmon Sell Out - Money Talks, Adrian Dix Doesn't!"
For more background on Marine Harvest's disease-ridden operations read "Marine Harmfest"
Be warned - salmon farming spreads infectious diseases all over the world. Stop the spread of the malignant cancer on our coasts by boycotting farmed salmon!
Last year, The Globe & Mail revealed that the European-origin Piscine Reovirus (linked to HSMI) had been found in farmed salmon purchased in four Vancouver supermarkets.
Read details via 'Salmon Feedlot Boycott' and watch the documentary 'Salmon Confidential' online here!
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