More for Stevie to rebuke and dance with.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/disease-killing-pacific-herring-threatens-salmon-scientist-warns/article13722113/
Fron Alex
Dear Minister of BC Agriculture:
"I am writing to file an official complaint regarding what I see as misleading comment by your employee, Dr. Gary Marty, to the public in the Globe and Mail today.
In this article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/disease-killing-pacific-herring-threatens-salmon-scientist-warns/article13722113/
Dr. Marty is quoted suggesting that a limited VHS outbreak could be "actually good…" for herring populations in BC.
While Dr. Marty appears to be quoting scientific research, he does not know if this is a "limited outbreak" and he omits the recent and relevant results in a paper co-published by DFO (attached) that reports that VHS can infect Atlantic salmon and "spillback" into wild populations causing 100% mortality in herring in 3/4 trials.
Well, Morton does not know if this is a full-blown outbreak but this isn't stopping her from reaching for the headlines. Morton is the last person who should accuse others of omitting information. Salmonconfidential is full of that. Marty is a fish pathologist - Morton is not.
Given that these herring were observed in an area surrounded by Atlantic salmon farms to the south, east and north, it is my opinion that Dr. Marty should have added comment regarding this high relevant and alarming finding by DFO. The CFIA reports there are salmon farms infected with VHS http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/aquatic-animals/diseases/reportable/2013/eng/1360390270607/1360390361782
If Morton would have read the literature (from people like Dr. Garver and Dr. Kent) before writing this letter she would have found out that VHS is already known and reported. VHS is endemic to our waters. It is not some mysterious European virus. Marty already admitted in the Globe and Mail article that VHS (and VEN) have been on the West Coast for a long time. It already occurs to some degree on farms, here but it is not found to be very virulent. It would have also been nice for Morton to note how Atlantic salmon obtain the virus in the article. If she would have read some more of Dr. Garver's literature she would have found that out.
"3.3. Experiment 3: transmission of VHSV from Atlantic salmon to herring
Transmission of VHSV from Atlantic salmon to sympatric Pacific herring was indicated by 100% mortality and recovery of VHSV with titers exceeding 1 106 from herring sentinels in 3 out of 4 immersion replicates."
This paper openly notes that: "herring biomass in salmon netpens can measure in the tons in some salmon farms (unpublished observation, K. Garver)"
Morton clearly cherry picks what she wants to show for maximum effect. If she was really interested in informing the public then she should not leave out the other literature. It is not a coincidence that Morton chose not to include (or discuss) the other paper Dr. Garver was involved with (that same year) or the literature from Dr. Marty who has worked with herring. I am not denying that result from this study;
however, it is too soon to say there is a problem and having the herring that Morton captured does not indicate a major outbreak. One hundred fish with these symptoms does not necessarily indicate a big outbreak. In addition, I also do not see much for evidence of VHS out of control on BC fish farms presented by Morton. I also do not see any mention by her of the abundance of herring in Georgia Strait this year.
I am all for investigating, but not for fear mongering. Yet, when you read the G&M article it makes it seem like all hell has broken loose. Morton basically ignores what we already know about VHS (explained by Garver; sort of like deja vu because Morton ignores what Dr. Miller says also), its presence in herring (even at low levels), how it is monitored on farms, and what farms do to reduce its occurrence. There are also other factors which influence how this virus impacts fish like herring. Marty explained this in the article, but Morton didn't. Who is really being misleading?
I am requesting that DFO and/or the province of BC follow up and correct Dr. Marty's quote in the Globe and Mail. The governments of BC have the responsibility to inform the public accurately about a resource as valuable as herring. It is unethical in my view to suggest that herring bleeding throughout their bodies could be "actually good." I would also like to know how the DFO and the Province of BC, who are responsible for the siting of each salmon farm, have responded to VHS in salmon farms and the recent DFO finding that this can potentially cause 100% mortality in BC herring."
If Morton is going to accuse Dr. Marty of being unethical in this respect she should at least try to interpret what he said correctly. Marty did not say that "herring bleeding throughout their bodies could be actually good". Dr. Marty said limited outbreaks of the two diseases are not necessarily a bad thing. In this respect he has a valid point. Don't believe me? Well read up on it. It is valid because contrary to what Morton will have you believe, diseases in the aquatic ecosystem are not abnormal. There are already many endemic pathogens off our coast (read Cohen Technical Report #1). Some individuals may die from a disease, but others may become more immune. Outbreaks do not necessarily have to have fish farms as the root cause. The severity of a disease is can be dependent on the interaction of numerous variables which include the host, the pathogen and the environment. Environmental conditions may be more of a factor about whether or not a outbreak develops and how severe it is rather than the virus itself. Was this ever mentioned by Morton in the article? You are always going to have fish in any population die of a disease with or without fish farms. Marty doesn't need to be corrected on anything he said. Morton is the one that needs to go back and read the literature and be objective in her assessment of this virus, especially in the media. What I do agree with Morton on is the slow response by the feds - not so much the apparent lack of testing of her samples, but just getting back to her to explain any delay in getting back to her.