Today DFO is holding its’ 4th closed-door review on whether the virus PRV is causing disease in BC. They have barred access to several members of the DFO Fish Health Committee, who organized this workshop.
At issue is deep disagreement within DFO – is PRV killing wild salmon or not?
Some DFO scientists report PRV causes massive cell rupture and heart lesions in Pacific salmon, other DFO scientists report the virus is low risk to wild salmon. PRV is highly contagious and most farm salmon are infected. Industry told the federal court of Canada that they would be “severely impacted” if prohibited from transferring young PRV-infected Atlantic into their farms.
Given that the 2019 BC wild salmon returns were the lowest in the history of Canada and that infected salmon farms are sited throughout wild salmon migration routes, the impact of this virus may be critical to whether wild salmon ever rebound on this coast.
I sit on the DFO Fish Health Committee and when the representative from MOWI told the committee that there is no evidence that PRV causes disease in BC, I objected, given the scientific evidence.
• Massive red blood cell rupture in Chinook salmon – Di Cicco et al 2018
• Moderate heart damage to Fraser River sockeye salmon – Garver et al 2016
• Juvenile Chinook exposed to salmon farms are becoming infected and exhibiting signs of disease – Wang et al in preparation
I recommended that the committee hear from veterinarians researching this virus with opposing views. A workshop was arranged. However, the deputy Minister of DFO, Timothy Sargent declared that the First Nation delegates, non –government biologist with the David Suzuki Foundation and myself (author of 4 scientific papers on PRV), were barred from attending, even though we sit on the committee that organized this meeting
This is the 4th review of PRV conducted behind closed doors, and the previous three reviews serve as a warning.
• An internal DFO science review process -CSAS review – removed comment by a DFO scientist reporting clinical signs of disease in PRV-positive farm salmon in the Cermaq, Venture Point in the Discovery Islands. As a result, the conclusion was that this virus is low risk to wild salmon
• A 2nd CSAS review stated there was consensus that PRV is low risk to Fraser sockeye, however John Werring, senior biologist with the David Suzuki Foundation, went public that there was no such consensus .
• The Federal Court of Canada instructed DFO had to consult with ‘Namgis First Nation on the evidence that PRV is harming wild salmon. While ‘Namgis brought experts from across Canada reporting how the virus harms Pacific salmon, DFO refused to bring any. Outcome – DFO re-affirmed they would allow PRV-infected farm salmon to continue going into salmon farms in BC.
The facilitator chosen for this current DFO workshop on PRV is Dr. Ian Gardner who is not neutral on this issue, having publicly discredited the research reporting impact.
DFO has put their integrity at risk, as well as, the survival of wild salmon. This also damages public opinion of the salmon farming industry. I suspect DFO’s behaviour is aimed at preventing First Nations from witnessing the strength of the evidence that millions of PRV-infected farm salmon are a critical risk to wild salmon. Fraser River salmon cannot be expected to migrate up the Fraser River with heart damage and I don't see how this workshop can undo this evidence.
Only two scientists with the opinion that PRV is causing organ damage in Pacific salmon were allowed into this workshop and the outcome will be a consensus decision… This consensus will come back to the Fish Health Committee that I am sitting on and so I will let you know if my concern was warranted.
I remain outside the workshop in case DFO decides to salvage their reputation and allow me to attend.
PRV causes a disease called HSMI that causes Atlantic salmon to become emaciated and lethargic