Safe Salmon in Canada posted on Facebook (23 November 2022):
Alexandra Morton reported (22 November 2022): "The red dots are salmon farms shedding the virus PRV. We know this because we collected bits of rotting farm salmon, scales and feces wafting out of these farms. We report that this Norwegian virus appears to originate from the farm hatcheries, it is mutating here in BC and some how the same variant is in Chinook farms in Tla-o-qui-aht and Columbia River hatchery. Here is a link to the paper. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjfas-2022-0019"
Here's the abstract of the scientific paper published on 18 November 2022:
The scientific paper includes:
The Globe & Mail reported (21 November 2022):
Canadian Government accused of suppressing research on fish-farm virus in B.C. despite warnings it could harm wild salmon @globeandmail @alex4salmon @gidmord @1Bob_Chamberlin @wildfirstcanada @DFO_Pacific @BCSalmonFarmers @UBCIC @WatershedWatch_ https://t.co/W8cT8jbwyW
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 21, 2022
The spread of Piscine Reovirus and Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation in Scotland – and the lack of action by the Scottish Government and Norwegian-owned companies (who control ca. 80% of 'Scottish' salmon farming) – raises alarm bells especially in the context of this new scientific research from Canada. Scottish Salmon Watch reported back in June 2019:
Scottish Salmon Watch's letter to Scottish Ministers in April 2019 cited numerous case reports of PRV detected in farmed salmon at sites across Scotland:
Piscine Reovirus is already here infecting Scottish farmed salmon – officially reported by @marinescotland via Fish Health Inspectorate case information https://t.co/DexqRA5RlP https://t.co/pfmyDTZYw2 @MHScotland pic.twitter.com/CHXKXZufj3
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 19, 2018
The cases of PRV and HSMI reported across Scotland continue unabated as mass mortalities and infectious diseases ravage salmon farms at an unprecedented scale. $camon $cotland reported last month (29 October 2022):
Gotcha: Secret filming inside @scotseafarms in Loch Creran in July triggered an inspection @scotgov revealing welfare & disease problems with Piscine Reovirus, Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation, exothalmia & "hanging" salmon @rspcaassured @ScotlandSalmon @marksandspencer pic.twitter.com/VFWuJqmRF1
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 29, 2022
Here's the Fish Health Inspectorate's report detailing an inspection on 18 July 2022 (triggered by a welfare complaint by $camon $cotland who filmed welfare abuse inside the salmon farm operated by Norwegian giant Norskott Havbruk/Scottish Sea Farms on 8 July 2022) – including "skin lesions/boils", "secondary bacterial infection", Furunculosis, Piscine Reovirus, Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation, "increased mortality", fish "belly up", "moribund" and "hanging" with 72,037 dead salmon in a nine-week period:
The Scottish Government Fish Health Inspectorate's report includes photographic evidence of disease and welfare problems including exothalmia, haemorrhaging and frayed gills:
In July 2022, $camon $cotland covertly filmed inside four salmon farms operated by Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk) – including inside Loch Creran – leading to a welfare complaint filed with the SSPCA, RSPCA Assured, Marine Scotland, Police Scotland and the Animal and Plant Health Agency:
The same Fish Health Inspectorate report for July 2022 identified PRV at The Scottish Salmon Company's Reibinish salmon farm (The Scottish Salmon Company was renamed Bakkafrost in June 2022) and included photos of disease-ridden Scottish salmon taken by Scottish Government inspectors:
Piscine Reovirus (PRV) is associated with the disease Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI) and, despite a woeful lack of Scottish Government testing, appears to be spreading like the Black Death plague across salmon farms in Scotland. A Fish Health Inspectorate report for August 2022 identified HSMI and PRV in Loch Duart's RSPCA Assured salmon farm in Loch Laxford:
A Fish Health Inspectorate report for September 2022 reported HSMI at Mowi's ASC-certified and RSPCA Assured salmon farm at Stulaigh:
In 2018, Mowi along with lawyers representing Scottish Sea Farms and The Scottish Salmon Company desperately tried to block publication of gruesome photos of disease-ridden salmon – including from Mowi's Stulaigh salmon farm – arguing that disclosure would stop people buying 'healthy' Scottish salmon!
Mowi: "the risk of people turning away from a healthy food such as salmon as a reaction to irresponsible use of photos for the sole purpose of creating fear in the consumer, is a risk to public health" https://t.co/u9Fk2kOkxz @MowiScotlandLtd @marinescotland @FergusEwingMSP pic.twitter.com/M3AyD3jMTm
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 24, 2019
A Fish Health Inspectorate report for August 2022 detailed PRV at the East Tarbert Bay salmon farm operated by The Scottish Salmon Company/Bakkafrost off the Isle of Gigha:
The Fish Health Inspectorate report for August 2022 included photos detailing disease and welfare problems:
Testing by Scottish Government inspectors in August 2022 found five out of five farmed salmon tested positive for PRV:
Here's video footage published in October 2021 by Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots and STV News showcasing mass mortalities and disease at the East Tarbert Bay salmon farm:
Thousands of rotting salmon ‘stink out’ village after mass death at farm.https://t.co/hOoOmXr0n7
— STV News (@STVNews) October 20, 2021
A Fish Health Inspectorate report for February 2022 detailed HSMI at Mowi's RSPCA Assured salmon farm in Loch Greshornish off the Isle of Skye:
HSMI was also cited in January 2022 via another Fish Health Inspectorate report for Mowi's RSPCA Assured salmon farm in Loch Greshornish off the Isle of Skye:
A Fish Health Inspectorate report for December 2021 identified PRV at The Scottish Salmon Company's Taranaish salmon farm in Loch Roag off the Isle of Lewis:
The Fish Health Inspectorate report for December 2021 detailed disease and welfare problems – and included photos taken by Scottish Government inspectors:
A Fish Health Inspectorate report for November 2021 detailed HSMI and PRV at Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk) at Bloody Bay off the Isle of Mull – sourced with smolts from Barcaldine and ova (eggs) from Stofnfiskur (Benchmark) in Iceland:
The Seattle Times reported in December 2018 how PRV had been imported to Washington state in the United States by Cooke Aquaculture via infected eggs from Stofnfiskur (rebranded as Benchmark Iceland in 2021):
Scottish Salmon Watch's letter to Scottish Ministers in April 2019 cited the Seattle Times article and an article published by Salmon Business in December 2018 which referred to an "optional service of screening against PRV that our customers may choose as an extra risk measure to avoid vertical transmission":
The vertical transmission of PRV, Infectious Salmon Anaemia and other deadly diseases via infected ova imported from Iceland, Norway and Ireland is a risk repeatedly raised by Scottish Salmon Watch (renamed $camon $cotland in February 2022):
Now that pathogenic Infectious Salmon Anaemia is suspected in Iceland will Scotland close the border to ova imports to stop the risk of disease transfer? @MairiGougeon @marinescotland @ScotlandSalmon @WeAreBenchmark @fms_scotland @SalmonTroutCons https://t.co/3d7SGEVAb5 https://t.co/HMxIA5pCD8
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 26, 2021
Scottish Salmon Watch warned in a press release published in August 2020:
#COVID19 has taught us that closing borders is vital in stemming the spread of infectious diseases, viruses & pathogens https://t.co/MAShiQlkpw Salmon farms using imported eggs should be quarantined until they can prove they're free of deadly viruses! @GreenerScotland #ISA #PRV pic.twitter.com/2pazJ07x9U
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 26, 2020
$camon $cotland wrote to Scottish Ministers in February 2022 calling for a ban on imported ova due to the risks of importing infectious diseases and viruses such as ISA and PRV:
Please Close the Border to Imports of Salmon Ova, Parr & Smolts! https://t.co/hZFEGSm0dX
The health & genetic integrity of ‘Scottish’ salmon is being threatened by imports flooding into Scotland. Failure @scotgov to screen imports is the antithesis of the precautionary principle pic.twitter.com/b7wg85KJ40— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 9, 2022
In a letter to Scottish Ministers sent today (28 November 2022), $camon $cotland called on the Scottish Government to come clean on the extent of PRV/HSMI in Scottish salmon farms (including hatcheries) and processing plants:
The letter showcases an analysis of Scottish Government 'Case Information' and 'Mortality Event Reports' published by the Fish Health Inspectorate which details PRV/HSMI at 37 salmon farms across Scotland since November 2017 (with many more cases reported since data became publicly available in 2013):
The letter to Scottish Ministers concludes:
Read the letter to Scottish Ministers online here
Read more via a press release (29 November 2022) online here
The disease risks of importing ova were highlighted just last week:
Salmon egg supplier Aquagen confirms ISA at Norwegian site @IntraFish https://t.co/PrjffDAIaZ
How many imported and domestically-grown salmon eggs in Scotland are infected with ISA? @scotgov @marinescotland @scotseafarms @MowiScotlandLtd @WeAreBenchmark @MairiGougeon— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 24, 2022
The Ferret reported in February 2019:
You mean the statement that: "As a matter of precaution there should be a complete ban on ova imports, especially from companies like AquaGen with a dubious history of Infectious Salmon Anaemia"? https://t.co/JIBP89epEb pic.twitter.com/KSmJM3EvAZ
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 14, 2019
The Ferret reported in February 2020:
Norwegian Salmon Egg Exports Banned Due to Disease Risks https://t.co/rEeHFKqewt @EFTAsecretariat @InfoMattilsynet @marinescotland @fiskeridir @NFdep @WeAreBenchmark @scotseafarms @MowiScotlandLtd @HGSalmonUK @FergusEwingMSP @DefraGovUK @SSPOsays #ISA #Norway #ScottishScamon pic.twitter.com/XmW4SaPYG2
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 24, 2020
Read more via:
Letter to Scottish Ministers: Please Close the Border to Imports of Salmon Ova, Parr & Smolts!
Iceland Still Importing Ova to 'Scottish' Salmon Farms Despite Disease Risks
Letter to Scottish Ministers calling for a ban on ova imports from Iceland
FOI Reveals Virus-Laden Salmon Slip Net & Into Scottish Waters
Norwegian Salmon Egg Exports Banned Due to Disease Risks
Game Ova for Scottish Salmon – Deadly disease delays egg imports from AquaGen in Norway
Deadly virus outbreak prompted fears over import of fish farm eggs to Scotland
Letter to Scottish Ministers: "Bio-security Protocols & Safety Precautions re. Ova Imports"
Virus-Laden Farmed Salmon – FOI reveals over half of samples test positive for Piscine Reovirus
You can choose not to look & bully those who are, but there is no hiding from the growing evidence of impact of industrial salmon farm pathogen leakage. Here is how wild salmon see the BC coast…#fnpoli pic.twitter.com/DSzs53G8Hx
— Alexandra Morton Gwayum'dzi (@alex4salmon) December 9, 2022