WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011
TEST RESULTS FOR DISEASE IN WILD SALMON
M. Sather: The infectious salmon anemia virus has been discovered in wild salmon in Rivers Inlet. This is a potentially devastating disease that hasn’t been reported before in the North Pacific. The Chilean farming industry was devastated by this same virus: $2 billion in losses, production cut by half and 26,000 people laid off.
We have a lot more to be concerned about here in British Columbia as well. We have our world-renowned sport-fishing industry, our commercial industry and our First Nations food fishery.
Now, Dr. James Winton, who leads the fish health research group at the Western Fisheries Research Center in Seattle, called this outbreak a “disease emergency.” My question to the Minister of Agriculture is: does he agree with the assessment of Dr. Winton?
Hon. D. McRae: Well, we’ve got another example of spinning media headlines and fearmongering from the opposition.
The reality is this. The lab results were sent to P.E.I. They were not following protocol when, instead of actually contacting CFIA, they went directly to SFU, which in turn went to the media.
When CFIA then, in turn, said, “We’d like to do our test samples,” and said, “We’d like to test the fish,” well, unfortunately, I’m advised that the tested-positive results at the P.E.I. lab
were destroyed and, therefore, not available to CFIA.
Now, what I want to make sure that we have very clear in this chamber today for all members here and all members of the public is that ISA poses no risk to human health. I don’t want people leaving this chamber for one second thinking that ISA is a problem to human health.
Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Members.
Just take your seat for a second, Member.
Members.
Continue, Member.
M. Sather: Well, in my time in this House that has got to be one of the worst answers I have ever heard. The minister is really making a mistake in going this route.
Those fish were tested by the World Organisation for Animal Health. Now, if the minister wants to quibble with the worldwide body that’s responsible for fish health, go ahead — fill your boots — but you’re making a big mistake.
And you’re making a big mistake about not taking what’s happening to our fish, our wild fish, our salmon farm fish in this province…. You’re not taking it seriously, Minister, and you ought to be
ashamed and apologize right now.
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Members.
Hon. D. McRae: By all means, we take this incredibly seriously and don’t for one second think that the health of wild salmon is not hugely important to the government of British Columbia and the people of British Columbia.
What’s really important, though, is that when an allegation or a test is done, we make sure that the protocols are done to make sure that CFIA can ensure that these results were fair, accurate and, basically, making sure that they react accordingly.
One study needs to be backed up with another. CFIA is working diligently to make sure those results are being done, using the sample that they do have available, not the two fish that have gone missing. We want to make sure that the CFIA will move forward and act accordingly once the information is done and made available.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011
Oral Questions
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO TEST RESULTS FOR DISEASE IN WILD SALMON
M. Sather: Well, yesterday in this House we questioned the Minister of Agriculture about the detection of infectious salmon anemia in our salmon in Rivers Inlet. Now, this is a very
serious virus that’s not dangerous to people, as the minister digressed yesterday, but is very dangerous to salmon. Yet instead of showing how he is prepared to deal with this threat, the minister went on to attack the scientists who detected the salmon in our waters.
So with the benefit of 24 hours of reconsideration and thought — serious thought, I hope — can the minister explain to this House what he’s doing to address this serious threat to our wild and our farmed salmon?
Hon. D. McRae: One of the things I’ve done is that I was talking to the president of CFIA. I want to make sure we have some messages, not only for this chamber but for the general public. They wanted me to pass on this. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency takes reports of reportable aquatic animal diseases very seriously.
In Canada suspected cases of ISAV must be validated by the national aquatic health program. CFIA right now are collecting the available samples from the research program being conducted by Simon Fraser University. When these are collected, they will be sent to the Fisheries and Oceans national aquatic animal health laboratory in Moncton, New Brunswick, for analysis.
CFIA is also working with the Atlantic Veterinary College to review their findings. If ISA is in fact validated, the CFIA will take appropriate disease control actions and notify World Organisation for Animal Health. CFIA and DFO — this is their mandate to look after. They are taking it incredibly seriously. This ministry, this government, is taking it incredibly seriously as well. Thank you very much for your question.
Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.
M. Sather: I’m pleased to hear — and, of course, it’s what I would expect — that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is going to follow up with further tests, and that they should do.
But we’re still not seeing any expression of actual concern about this government planning to do something themselves. But the fish farm industry, the salmon farm industry, is concerned. This is what Stewart Hawthorn, managing director for Grieg Seafood, had to say about the detection of ISA. He said: “This could be a threat to our business and the communities that rely on our productive industry.”
He’s right to be concerned. You know, this virus wiped out the salmon farming industry, pretty close, in Chile — $2 billion worth of damage. Now, we want to know what the minister’s plan is to deal with this. What is he doing to deal with the threat that’s facing us? Other than just saying, “Well, I’m passing it on to somebody else,” what is he doing? I want to hear it.
Hon. D. McRae: I want to make sure, as well, that the member opposite knows: it’s not what we’re doing now; it’s what we’ve always been doing. I’m pleased to say that over 5,000 samples have been tested for ISA in the last several years. How many came back positive? Let me think about it for a sec. Zero — not one.
One other thing that I’d like to bring up as well. Yesterday the member opposite was wanting to quote some articles in the States, and I want to just read into the record, because part of it is true, what he said. “Fish virus experts from the U.S. Geological Survey to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife called the discovery alarming, even while they acknowledged the tests don’t make clear how wide-ranging the virus is. The results had not yet been confirmed by additional testing.”
Now, this is the one part I really want to bring in here, from that same article: “‘We found the sequence of this virus in two samples of wild sockeye, that’s all,’ said Fred Kibenge, the highly regarded scientist who performed the tests. ‘There was no link to disease, no indication of massive outbreak, and we don’t know if this is virulent or not.’”
But the reality is that CFIA and this government are in constant communication, making sure that the agencies responsible, CFIA and DFO, are getting down to the answers and making sure that they’re available to the public.
Mr. Speaker: The member has a further supplemental.
M. Sather: Well, all we’re seeing from this minister is denial, denial, denial. Dr. Kibenge also said: “This is probably the single most feared virus in the fish industry.”
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Members.
Member. Member, just take your seat for a second.
Members.
Continue, Member.
M. Sather: The minister wants to actually brag about what this government has done for fish? What this government has done for the salmon is try to suppress all the disease records
at the Cohen inquiry. How is that for a starter?
And now, even with the chance to think about this, to show that he’s actually working with the federal government to get something done, the minister is trying to make excuses once again for doing nothing. It’s absolutely inexcusable.
Hon. D. McRae: I’m not sure, Mr. Speaker, if there was a question there, but I want to take it as an opportunity to respond nonetheless.
So how will we define “suppress”? If suppress means actually submitting information to the Cohen Commission, well, I would direct the member to several websites, if you may.
Exhibit 1471 of the Cohen Commission. What does that do? Well, let’s just see. It is a summary of PCR tests of fish farms available from the Ministry of Agriculture, given to the Cohen Commission.
But we also want a bit more perhaps — a summary of the testimony with respect to provincial fish data related to ISA. ISA is publicly available, again, at the Cohen Commission, on pages 104 to 112, item 78.
But there’s more also. Exhibit 1678 — more information from the provincial government about ISA and fish farm health in the Cohen Commission. If that’s not enough, don’t hesitate to check out exhibit 1549 on the B.C. fish health database in the Cohen Commission.
We’ve put forward everything we have. We’re not hiding anything.
