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[Dave]

The multistakeholder World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue commissioned a report on chemical use in salmon farming. The committee of expert scientists that authored the report explain that:

“…this use of large volumes of antibiotics can only be explained by excessive and prophylactic [preventative] use. Excessive and prophylactic use of antibiotics in animal husbandry is in general the result of shortcomings in rearing methods and hygienic conditions that favor animal stress, and opportunistic infections and their dissemination.”

Can you supply a link to this report?

[Easywater]

Can you supply a link to this report?

http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/aquaculture/WWFBinaryitem8842.pdf

Careful though, the lead scientist is some unreliable guy called Les Burridge.
http://www.mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/e0006652

[absolon]

Thanks for posting the link. I've always found it pays to read the small print too; statements like this are also important:

Use of antibiotics in livestock production represents the major use of antibiotics
worldwide. Municipal wastewater treatment plants are a source of antibiotic residues from human
sources. Quantities of antibiotics used in salmon aquaculture are small compared to other forms
of food production and published data show the use of antibiotics in salmon aquaculture has been
diminishing in some areas.

The available data show the trend in Europe during the past decade has been towards a reduction in the quantity of antibiotics used in salmon aquaculture. The most recent data show a consistent level of antibiotic use in Europe with minor fluctuations presumably as the result of localized disease out breaks. Data from British Columbia (Canada) indicates a reduction in antibiotic use in that province as well.

As for the lead author, the DFO summary page also indicates this about him:

Dr. Burridge is a member of a group of Canadian scientists established by the Aquaculture Association of Canada to discuss/describe the state of knowledge regarding environmental effects of Aquaculture.

It would appear that rather than covering up information, the aquaculture industry is actively looking into potential problems and even though Dr. Burridge works for that dreaded evil agency that is hiding all those nasty facts in order to promote salmon farms, he has agreed to assist both the industry and the WWF in exploring this subject.

[Easywater]

Data from British Columbia (Canada) indicates a reduction in antibiotic use in that province as well.

Reduction perhaps but still very high - we trail only Chile in our antibiotic use.
Check out the chart on  page 22: http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/aquaculture/WWFBinaryitem5328.pdf

Careful though, the lead scientist is some unreliable guy called Les Burridge.

I was being facetious - it was a bit of a shot at Dave for questioning the source.
Dave and I have had discussions off-line and while it may be said that DFO's actions could be questionable, we both agree that there are good people that work there.

[Dave]

I was being facetious - it was a bit of a shot at Dave for questioning the source.
Dave and I have had discussions off-line and while it may be said that DFO's actions could be questionable, we both agree that there are good people that work there.

Sorry Easywater, I wasn't questioning the source but I was a bit brusque in my approach.
X2 about the good people

[absolon]

Have a look at page 21 immediately preceding the chart and note the caveats, primarily that this is 2003 data normalized to market fish.

If you were to compare that to the more recent data that includes use for 2003 through 2008, you'll note that use has dropped by 80% in that time period. To really give a true picture of industry practice, data from 2009 and 2010 should also be considered. Regardless, it is apparent that a considerable effort has been successfully applied to reduce use.

http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ahc/fish_health/Antibiotic_Graphs_1995-2008.pdf

I was being facetious as well, taking a bit of a shot at the tenor of some comments posted in this thread about DFO credibility. I had a fair bit of experience dealing with DFO during my time in the business and emerged with nothing but respect for their attention to their responsibilities and their dedication to salmon in spite of a steadily increasing political intervention that restricted their ability to perform as well as they would have preferred. The problems arise from ministerial intervention for political purposes, not from the work of the boots on the ground.

[alwaysfishn]

Have a look at page 21 immediately preceding the chart and note the caveats, primarily that this is 2003 data normalized to market fish.

If you were to compare that to the more recent data that includes use for 2003 through 2008, you'll note that use has dropped by 80% in that time period. To really give a true picture of industry practice, data from 2009 and 2010 should also be considered. Regardless, it is apparent that a considerable effort has been successfully applied to reduce use.

http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ahc/fish_health/Antibiotic_Graphs_1995-2008.pdf

I was being facetious as well, taking a bit of a shot at the tenor of some comments posted in this thread about DFO credibility. I had a fair bit of experience dealing with DFO during my time in the business and emerged with nothing but respect for their attention to their responsibilities and their dedication to salmon in spite of a steadily increasing political intervention that restricted their ability to perform as well as they would have preferred. The problems arise from ministerial intervention for political purposes, not from the work of the boots on the ground.

This is the same industry that has refused to make public their disease records and refused independent labs access to testing for diseases.... In other words any stats that they provide can only be measured as results that they want the public to know (read not likely the truth).

The industry along with DFO and CFIA must become totally transparent in how they are operating/managing these farms. Until they become open about their operations they have no credibility and the public can and is rightfully assuming that they are harming the wild salmon!

[Easywater]

This is the same industry that has refused to make public their disease records...

That's what I thought until I did a little snooping around with the link that absolon provided: http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ahc/fish_health/Antibiotic_Graphs_1995-2008.pdf

If we go here instead: http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ahc/fish_health/bcsfa_reports.htm

and look at the "Events" links for each year, you will find what you are looking for.
The earlier years have the worst records.

[alwaysfishn]

That's what I thought until I did a little snooping around with the link that absolon provided: http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ahc/fish_health/Antibiotic_Graphs_1995-2008.pdf

If we go here instead: http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ahc/fish_health/bcsfa_reports.htm

and look at the "Events" links for each year, you will find what you are looking for.
The earlier years have the worst records.

I don't eat farmed salmon so I'm not as concerned as the folks that eat it should be when it comes to the amount of antibiotics that the fish are being fed. I don't believe the antibiotics would have much of a negative effect on the wild salmon.

As far as your second link, it is true that the fish farms send some reports to MAL  but I am highly skeptical as to whether everything is reported. As an example, it is well known that mad cow disease has been in the US for a long time, yet there has seldom been a reported case ..... Some diseases are very bad for business so it is common practice to hide the evidence.

[aquapaloosa]

I don't eat farmed salmon so I'm not as concerned as the folks that eat it should be when it comes to the amount of antibiotics that the fish are being fed. I don't believe the antibiotics would have much of a negative effect on the wild salmon.

  While this is completely off topic I can't help but to notice that you repeatedly choose to inflate the facts about antibiotic use on bc salmon farms.  True, some antibiotics are used but in comparison to pork, chicken and beef, salmon farms use far FAR less antibiotics.   Some cycles of bc farm salmon do not even see antibiotics for the simple fact that it just wasn't  necessary.  I think it is interesting how the anti's want us all to believe that the sites are festering disease areas while all the while atlantics are highly suseptable to pacific viruses and many are not seeing medication.

As far as your second link, it is true that the fish farms send some reports to MAL  but I am highly skeptical as to whether everything is reported. As an example, it is well known that mad cow disease has been in the US for a long time, yet there has seldom been a reported case ..... Some diseases are very bad for business so it is common practice to hide the evidence.

  I highly doubt that would be the case.  For all the years that I saw provincial and now federal  vets coming out and taking samples and looking at the fish.  They have always been very forward with me and open to my questions. 

  I think it is irresponsible for any group in canada to be squaking so early in the discovery of this virus.  I can see why DFO is being very patient in trying to better understand what this virus is.  If we just throw down our hands and say ya this is ISA then there is allot at stake.  Both farmed and wild fisheries would be subject to trade restrictions.  This is just another example of how ruthless and irresponsible the american funded anti farm movement is.  I see it as just another example of how they are more than willing to sacrifice anyone who crosses  their path and in this case it could be the commercial fishers. While we are at it lets test the farmed sturgeon, also lets confirm ISA (quick like) in the closed containment salmon farms that some here love so much. It was found in the "franken fish tanks" so who is to say it isn't everywhere else . I bet all those companies are not rushing to give samples to morton or anyone for testing at this point and can see why.
  The bottom line for me is its been in the water here for a long time. lets learn more about this then react.

[absolon]

The only reason any kind of trade embargo on ISAV exposed salmon would even be proposed would be political opportunism of the nature displayed by that Washington congresswoman using Morton's ISA announcement as a way to bolster her public profile in advance of her upcoming re-election bid. Such an embargo would effectively close US borders to all farmed salmon since endemic or imported ISAV has been positively identified in every other jurisdiction growing farmed salmon. If the ISA virus is here in the North Pacific, all US wild stocks will also have been exposed to it. Confirmation of this unknown virus as an ISAV strain will have no effect on trade.

[alwaysfishn]

 While this is completely off topic I can't help but to notice that you repeatedly choose to inflate the facts about antibiotic use on bc salmon farms.  True, some antibiotics are used but in comparison to pork, chicken and beef, salmon farms use far FAR less antibiotics.   Some cycles of bc farm salmon do not even see antibiotics for the simple fact that it just wasn't  necessary.  I think it is interesting how the anti's want us all to believe that the sites are festering disease areas while all the while atlantics are highly suseptable to pacific viruses and many are not seeing medication.

I agree.....   a little poison is your system is a lot more tolerable than a lot of poison.  

   For all the years that I saw provincial and now federal  vets coming out and taking samples and looking at the fish.  They have always been very forward with me and open to my questions.  

I accept that they have been forward with you and open to your questions but I'm not sure why you would bother sharing that irrelevant bit of information.  

I don't feel any confidence whatsoever, that they are being forward with the public when reporting (or not reporting) their diseases. It appears the reporting is entirely voluntary and highly likely that the farms having disease outbreaks choose not to submit their data. Makes the data pretty useless!

http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ahc/fish_health/BCSFA/BCSFA_Fish_Health_Quarterly_Report_Review.pdf

There are currently 13 companies operating private aquaculture facilities in British Columbia. Eight of these (or 62%) are providing data to the database.

The public sector facilities have agreed to also provide data to the database. As of October 2003, information has been provided from eleven Salmon Enhancement facilities operated by DFO and two FwFS hatcheries. While this does not represent all public facilities, it does provide a sampling of the fish health concerns facing the public sector operations.

It should be noted that in each quarter, the number of facilities providing data (i.e. thesample size) does vary, causing some variation in the calculations and results provided.

[alwaysfishn]

http://www.salmonfarmmonitor.org/osullivan.shtml

"Eating Diseased Fish

Infective Salmon Anaemia (ISA) occurred recently in Ireland, for the first time – found in Scotland in May 1998. Instead of destroying the infected fish, as per protocol, they were promptly killed and sold off. Such diseased fish, if awaiting definitive veterinary diagnosis (which may take some time), may be marketed quite legally. No label warns the consumer that disease dictated the premature slaughter of the fish. While current evidence suggests ISA viruses do not damage humans, who in their right mind would knowingly tuck into fish riddled with pathological organisms?

The germs causing Foot and Mouth Disease rarely affect humans yet the Government spends billions to keep the food chain free of them. Listeria in farmed salmon has resulted in batches of Irish, Scottish and Norwegian salmon being rejected by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States."

[chris gadsden]

ISA hearings transcripts from December can be found here.

http://cohencommission.ca/en/Schedule/

[absolon]

Thanks for the heads-up Chris.