Environment

Deadly salmon infection detected

by LotusFlower | January 4, 2009 at 02:20 pm

237 views | 67 Recommendations | 8 comments

Salmon is now one of the cheaper fish to buy in our supermarkets and this is wholy due to the farming of salmon.

Farming fish whilst protecting wild stocks also brings with it problems of infection and ill health of the fish themselves.

The deadly salmon disease Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) has been discovered in several salmon fisheries in the Burra area and measures are being taken to contain the disease which could devastate the salmon fishing industry if it takes hold.

An infectious disease which can devastate farmed Atlantic salmon stocks has been detected on Shetland, the Scottish government has confirmed.

Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) was discovered at one salmon farm site, which has been empty of fish since 21 December, in the Burra area.

The disease is also suspected at a further two sites in Burra, one of which was emptied six weeks ago.

ISA does not affect humans, but can seriously damage farmed salmon stocks.

The Scottish government said it had immediately set up a National Disease Control Centre and was taking action to control the spread of the disease.

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Paschen

at 18:46 on January 4th, 2009

It is also a problem in Western Canada where some was detected.

sara star

at 19:14 on January 4th, 2009

This is tragic!

Also read my story http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/bc-save-wild-salmon-save-orcas

Recommendation: When you go to the market or restaurant ask if the salmon is farmed. Let us not support farm fish.

mtammas

at 20:16 on January 4th, 2009

It's true that this and other negative impacts of fish farming have been a big problem on Canada's west coast for some time. Added to the environmental disasters is the fact that most of the farms in B.C.'s waters are owned by foreign multinationals. These are not small, owner/operated ventures. If they were, we might have been more successful in achieving environmentally sound changes in the sector for the benefit of the ocean, its creatures and people.

Thanks to you and other who have posted stories about fish farming. We need to keep on about this!

RoryKearney

at 22:41 on January 4th, 2009

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org), over 68% of all seafood consumed in the United States is imported, and most of it is industrially produced. Many of these commodities are farm-raised and often involve little oversight regarding antibiotic drug use. While the U.S. government has standards that should ban imports with high levels of antibiotics in seafood, there is essentially no enforcement. Farmed salmon have more antibiotics administered by weight than any other form of livestock. Farmed salmon have significantly higher levels of PCBs, dioxin, and other cancer causing agents over wild salmon.
http://www.deliciousorganics.com/controversies/wildvsfarmfish.htm

rpshen

at 08:20 on January 5th, 2009

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Great story lotusflower!

amyjudd

at 16:26 on January 6th, 2009

This is a sad story.

Barbara McPherson

at 19:01 on January 8th, 2009

Thanks for bringing this to the forefront. Farming of salmon in BC is very controversial as well and has been blamed for concentrating parasites known as sea lice. The sea lice then latch onto the tiny salmon leaving the rivers and wipe out thousands of them. Atlantic salmon have escaped from the net pens and have been found breeding in our Pacific salmon rivers. The quality of the farmed salmon is inferior to the wild for many reasons, but anyone may detect the mushy, soft flesh of the farmed salmon.