No import of Atlantic salmon genetic material
Typical of the popular opinion created by environmental groups in B.C., a recent Letter to the Editor of a Campbell River-based newspaper stated that "..industry continues to import the foreign eggs for brood stock that carry it (the ISA virus)" and "..a new dread virus identified in Norway may be imported here with foreign brood stock eggs, and which may be responsible for our dwindling sockeye runs". Using the familiar tactic of scaring people with horror scenarios, environmentalists go to great lengths in order to halt any potential expansion of the aquaculture industry here- particularly ocean-based net pen salmon farming.
The fact is that no Atlantic salmon genetic material is coming into B.C. from Europe these days. A few small shipments of eyed eggs were brought in some years ago from a facility in Iceland, certified as disease free by Canadian authorities. The eggs were held in quarantine facilities after delivery to Canada while samples were taken for fish health reasons until authorities cleared the off-spring for transport to sea water sites. During this quarantine period, all water discharges were sterilized before being released. These regulations have been in place for many years, and have resulted in the effective controls of exotic diseases being introduced through the importation of genetic material for the salmon farming industry.
B.C. salmon farmers were able to bring in Atlantic salmon eggs in the mid- to late 1980’s, and surface-disinfected eyed eggs came in to B.C. via such quarantine facilities from hatcheries in Scotland, Ireland and the East Coast of North America. Another source of eyed eggs was the Cascade Aqua Farms in Washington State, which had also brought in eyed eggs from the East Coast. No eggs were ever imported to B.C. from Norway, although the Fanad Hatchery in Ireland had obtained some of its “MOWI” strain of Atlantic salmon from broodstock in Norway, and eggs from these fish made their way to Canada.
All of the producers of Atlantic salmon in B.C. today have their own brood stock programs and hatcheries, and most of the production is based on the off-spring of the originally imported MOWI stock, which generally features good growth and survival, as well as relatively late maturation. Further importations of genetic material will not be possible until facilities are built in Norway or other countries that can meet Canadian certification requirements regarding a disease-free status, something that will not be possible if the brood fish or their parents have spent any time in open sea water or been subject to any other fish bearing or non-sterilized water supply.
The fear of Pacific salmon dying from the exposure to the farm-borne ISA virus is also a gross exaggeration, as no detection of the virus has been made in B.C., and laboratory experiments have shown that the Pacific salmon species are very tolerant to the exposure to this virus.
