Monday, May 21, 2012

Mainstream Canada Dixon Bay IHN update

Mainstream Canada has begun depopulating its Dixon Bay farm site, after IHNv  (Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis virus) was detected.

Fish removed from the site will be euthanized and transported to a composting facility for disposal. Strict biosecurity protocols will be followed during all stages of this process.

The site is currently under the authority of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which has quarantined the farm and is overseeing the depopulation and disposal process.

IHNv can cause the Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis disease in farmed Atlantic salmon.
Samples collected during routine fish health disease screening were submitted to the provincial government's Animal Health Centre lab in Abbotsford, B.C. The lab detected the virus with qPCR tests and confirmed it by genetic sequencing. Histopathological results also confirmed that the fish were affected with the disease caused by the IHN virus.

On May 18, 2012, the quarantine around the Dixon Bay farm was broken by Tofino filmmaker and anti-salmon farming activist Warren Rudd, who was collecting video footage on behalf of CHEK TV.

The actions of the activist and Tofino Water Taxi, which transported him, are now being investigated by the RCMP and by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Mainstream Canada is considering legal action against the parties who violated the quarantine. 

For more information, contact Laurie Jensen, Communications and Corporate Sustainability Manager, laurie.jensen@mainstreamcanada.com

This blog is written by staff at International Aquafeed Magazine which is published and supported by Perendale Publishers Limited. To get your copy of PPL's web application, 'PPLAPP' click here.

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