Infectious Salmon Anaemia Confirmed in Nova Scotia

[Pathfinder]

<TABLE style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1px" border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=546><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 10px" class=body_text vAlign=top align=left>News</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 10px" class=body_text vAlign=top align=left>Cooke Aquaculture Responds to Suspicion of ISA in NS site

February 17th, 2012

COOKE AQUACULTURE

February 17, 2012

Cooke Aquaculture has humanely euthanized two cages of fish in Nova Scotia after routine testing raised suspicion of the Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus.

This voluntary action is considered as a proactive fish health management strategy employed by salmon farmers around the world, one that has been taken by Cooke Aquaculture after thorough risk evaluation.

On Feb 10th, 2012 the suspicion of ISA was raised during routine fish health surveillance and testing at a salmon farm in Nova Scotia.

Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) is a naturally occurring virus that spreads slowly and is present in wild fish in many parts of the world, including eastern Canada and the United States. Because ISA is present in the natural environment, salmon farmers have learned to manage it over many years.

The presence of ISA has NOT been confirmed and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is continuing its testing. While ISA is harmful to salmon, it poses no risks to human health.

While this is only a suspect case of ISA, Cooke has taken the extremely proactive fish health approach of euthanizing the affected fish immediately rather than waiting for further testing results by the CFIA, which could take several weeks.

Quick voluntary action on issues of a fish health nature is a standard operating procedure for Cooke Aquaculture and these measures go above and beyond regulatory requirements. These actions are viewed as extremely positive and proactive measures in terms of animal welfare and virus control.

The suspect fish will not be sold for human consumption even though they pose no human health risk. They have been disposed of in an approved manner in compliance with the Province of Nova Scotia and CFIA.

874 Main Street, Blacks Harbour NB E5H 1E6 www.cookeaqua.com -506-456-6600 -www.truenorthsalmon.com -1
ASF's own backgrounder on ISA



http://www.cookeaqua.com/images/pdfs/ns_cooke_statement_on_euthanized_salmon.pdf RELATED ISSUES:
Aquaculture
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If you have any comments on Atlantic salmon issues and coverage, or would like further information, contact:

Sue Scott, V.P. Communications
1-506-529-1027
E-mail: sscott@asf.ca
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http://www.asf.ca/news.php?id=823

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Nova Scotia - Cooke Aquaculture responds to suspicion of Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA)

Re: Nova Scotia - Cooke Aquaculture responds to suspicion of Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA)

Salmon Situation Being Well Handled, Op-ed


<!-- /HeadlineContent --><!-- Content --><!-- 11 -->Fisheries and Aquaculture

February 24, 2012 11:52 AM

<HR>NOTE: The following is an op-ed piece from Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture associate deputy minister Greg Roach.

<HR>The province's routine fish health management program recently identified a suspected case of infectious salmon anemia at a Cooke Aquaculture fish farm. Federal-provincial policy was immediately followed and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canada's lead fish health agency, was informed of the test result and fish samples were sent to them for confirmation.

It is important for people to know they can be confident that the situation is being handled appropriately, with the best interests of Nova Scotians and the future of the seafood industry, in mind.

Infectious salmon anemia virus occurs naturally in both wild and farmed salmon. It's a disease that impacts salmon and has no negative health impacts on humans. It also poses no known threat to lobster.

For their part, Cooke Aquaculture has acted proactively and, without waiting for an order from the federal government's Canadian Food Inspection Agency, has removed and humanely destroyed the suspected fish. It was safely disposed of under the direction of the inspection agency.

Much like land farming, fish farmers have a responsibility to monitor their stocks and ensure they are healthy. The province, too, routinely tests for infectious salmon anemia as part of our fish health management program at aquaculture sites. Increased mortalities of fish at a site triggers additional testing.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will make a final determination on whether or not the suspect case is confirmed. That process is expected to take a few weeks. In the meantime, the site is under quarantine by the agency and they, and our department, are doing further testing. Our department has also heightened surveillance and testing at finfish aquaculture sites.

The province will continue to work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the industry to make sure every step is taken to ensure a safe and healthy fish population. We are committed to ensuring that aquaculture in Nova Scotia is practised in an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable way.

http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20120224001

 

[Pathfinder]

Infectious Salmon Anaemia Confirmed in Nova Scotia

Infectious Salmon Anaemia Confirmed in Nova Scotia

March 7, 2012: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed infectious salmon anaemia at a commercial aquaculture facility in Nova Scotia.

Infectious salmon anaemia does not affect human health or food safety, but it does pose risks to fish health and the economy.
Protecting fish health is a top priority, and appropriate measures are being taken to prevent further disease spread.

A quarantine remains on the facility to control movements of people, vessels, equipment and fish onto or off of the site. As a precautionary disease control measure, the owner of the facility chose to euthanize two pens containing affected salmon when the disease was first suspected.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will now order a third cage of salmon to be humanely destroyed and disposed of, with compensation paid to the owner.

The Agency will continue to monitor and test the rest of the salmon at the facility. If additional cases of infectious salmon anaemia are detected, more fish may be ordered destroyed.

Pens, cages and equipment will be cleaned and disinfected. Once cleaning and disinfecting is complete, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will evaluate the facility to determine when the quarantine may be removed.

The measures being taken are consistent with international disease control guidelines for infectious salmon anaemia.

The response is being carried out in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Province of Nova Scotia and the aquaculture industry.

The Government of Canada appreciates the proactive approach taken by the company following the suspect finding. Their actions are an excellent example of how the industry takes their responsibility for fish health and these situations seriously.

This finding does not change Canada?s status for infectious salmon anaemia. The disease is known to exist in the waters off Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

For more information on infectious salmon anaemia

• visit www.inspection.gc.ca/aquatic
• call 1-800-442-2342

Follow us on Twitter for the latest on aquatic animal health: www.twitter.com/CFIA_Animals.
Media enquiries:

<ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> Media Relations
613-773-6600
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-t...almon-anaemia/eng/1331155048243/1331155084131<!-- WCMS:CONTENT -->

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Infectious Salmon Anaemia Confirmed in Nova Scotia

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/04/26/ns-salmon-disease-fish-kill.html

N.S. salmon farm told to destroy all fish
Food inspection agency confirms more diseased salmon
CBC News
Posted: Apr 26, 2012 1:53 PM AT
Last Updated: Apr 26, 2012 1:43 PM AT

Cooke Aquaculture has been ordered to kill the remaining salmon at its fish farm on Nova Scotia's South Shore.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirms more cases of infectious salmon anaemia, a disease that affects finfish but not humans...

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Infectious Salmon Anaemia Confirmed in Nova Scotia

Another suspected salmon infection probed at Cooke Aquaculture

<!-- /.article-header-title -->June 19, 2012 - 7:16pm By BRUCE ERSKINE Business Reporter

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating another suspected outbreak of infectious salmon anemia at a Cooke Aquaculture operation in Nova Scotia.

?I can confirm another investigation in an aquaculture operation in Nova Scotia,? agency spokesman Guy Gravelle said Tuesday in an interview from Ottawa.

Gravelle wouldn?t comment on details of the investigation, including who the aquaculture operator is or where the salmon farm is located.

?We?re doing preliminary tests.?

Any reportable diseases discovered as a result of the investigation would be posted on the agency?s website, www.inspection.gc.ca, in early July, he said.

Several hundred thousand farmed salmon were destroyed earlier this year after an outbreak of the disease at an open-pen salmon farm outside Shelburne Harbour owned by New Brunswick-based Cooke.

Cooke spokesperson Nell Halse confirmed Tuesday that one of the company?s six operating farms in Nova Scotia is under investigation by the agency, but she wouldn?t disclose which one.

More...
http://thechronicleherald.ca/busine...-salmon-infection-probed-at-cooke-aquaculture