CEP SCEP UNION W LABEL VOL. 76 NO. 2 I DECEMBER, 2011 I VANCOUVER, B.C. 2000 $1 Season’s Greetings 8 2 1 2 1 0 0 4 R E B M U N T N E N I F M F I E R E G R N G A E A S – O T O H P N A M R E H S I F SHOREWORKERS THE FISHERMAN, DECEMBER 2011 2 FISHERIES ISA tests show need for monitoring CFIA, DFO downplay any problem despite positive samples found in wild salmon the Canadian Food gered Nov. 8, when Con Kiley, the University of Bergen’s refer - Molly Kibenge, wife of Fred The joint statement by envi - Inspection Agency and acting director of aquatic health ence lab in Norway by Dr. Are Kibenge from the PEI lab, carried ronmental groups, signed by DFO last month tried for CFIA, told a telephone news Nylund, who confirmed that one out the research between August Georgia Strait Alliance, David T to slam the lid on conference “there is no evidence of the samples had tested positive 2002 and April 2003 but the Suzuki Foundation, Coastal reports of a potential virus known that ISA occurs in waters off the for the European strain of ISA. results were never published. Alliance for Aquaculture Reform as infectious salmon anemia (ISA) coast of British Columbia.” Kiley, together with Peter Molly Kibenge e-mailed Jones and the UFAWU-CAW among in Pacific salmon. But officials had He was responding to reports Wright from DFO’s reference lab Nov. 4 and asked for permission to others, called on DFO and the barely turned off their micro - made public by Simon Fraser in Moncton, NB, stated that the publish the findings but Jones province to undertake four imme - phones before news of other pos - University scientist Rick lab had re-tested the samples and turned her down, citing DFO’s diate steps: itive tests and a potential cover-up Routledge, that two samples of considered all the results negative. disagreement with the results. • Test all Atlantic salmon for were already headlines across the sockeye from Rivers Inlet had They acknowledged, however, The secrecy over the research ISA; continent. tested positive for ISA. The tests that results were “inconclusive” has brought even more interna - • Test all Pacific salmon hatch - At the same time, environmen - — on 48 samples provided by because the quality of the samples tional attention on DFO and eries, including upcoming tal and fishermen’s groups issued Routledge — had been conducted was so degraded. CFIA, despite the efforts by both brood stock; a joint statement Nov. 10 calling by Dr. Fred Kibenge, a patholo - But they declined to share agencies to suppress any sugges - • Test wild salmon, herring on both the federal and provincial gist with the independent World results with U.S. scientists, tion that there could be ISA in and other fish species for ISA government to begin immediate - Organization of Animal Health prompting widespread demands Pacific salmon. Appearance of the • Apply the precautionary ly on a program to test both farm laboratory in Prince Edward in the U.S. — including a bill now disease in wild stocks could have principle and ban all imports and wild salmon for ISA. Island. The samples used by endorsed by Congress — that serious implications for aquacul - of Atlantic salmon eggs. The latest events were trig - Kibenge were also re-tested by at there should be further monitor - ture because of the ISA link to Groups are urging people to ing of Pacific Northwest fish farmed salmon. add their voices to the statement stocks for evidence of ISA. ISA can highly infectious in via an online petition available at They also failed to mention salmon and killed millions of fish www.georgiastrait.org research that was done nearly a in salmon farms in Norway fol - The Cohen Commission will Holiday Greetings decade ago by scientists from lowing an outbreak in 1984. The also be investigating the issue of DFO and the Atlantic Veterinary disease then devastated Chilean ISA in wild salmon in a special to one and all from the College that found some 117 salmon farms over two seasons in three-day hearing Dec. 15, 16 and sockeye, coho, chum and pink 2007 and 2008. Although ISA- 19 that is likely to be watched BC Salmon Marketing Council salmon testing positive for ISA, infected salmon apparently pose closely by international media. although the strain of the disease no risk to humans, the disease Despite efforts by the B.C. BC Salmon Marketing Council found did not appear to cause could have a catastrophic impact Salmon Farmers to block pro - Box 28100 West Shore RPO symptoms. All 64 samples of on wild stocks if it were to mutate duction of documents, the Victoria BC V9B 6K8 Cultus sockeye tested were found in the wild. Commission has ordered that the Tel : 855.642.3551 positive for ISA. Even Kiley acknowledged that results of all testing for ISA after Cell : 250.466.4860 The scientists, including ISA ‘has to the potential to have a March, 2011 by the province’s [email protected] www.bcsalmon.ca Simon Jones from DFO, and Dr. serious impact on aquatic animal salmon farmers be made available health and the economy.” to the Commission. ALLIED A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year SHIBUILDERS to all our friends and fishermen. Best wishes for a safe Thanks for your support in 2011. and prosperous year in 2011 S.M. PRODUCTS (BC)LTD. PROVEN MARKETERS OF NORTH PACIFIC HALIBUT SINCE 1990 LONG LINE HALIBUT, ZN GROUNDFISH & FAS BLACK COD BUYING AND OFFLOADING STATIONS: 10 Stations in British Columbia 7 Stations in Alaska and Washington TOP PRICES FOR TOP QUALITY SUPPORTED BY TOP SERVICE Ice and Bait available upon request Available 24 hours a day small jobs welcome Office: 604-946-7665 • Toll-free: 1-888-962-5577 Jorn: 604-657-9260 1870 Harbour Road, North Vancouver, BC V7H 1A1 g yin Blake: 604-290-2454 bu od (At the foot of Riverside Drive, east of the Second Narrows Bridge) ow k C Carl: 604-671-8947 N lac S B FA Gord: 604-644-9980 TEL : 604-929-2365 • FAX : 604-929-5329 Rob: 604-418-6867 e-mail : [email protected] • web: www.alliedship.com www.halibut.ca UFAWU 50TH ANNIVERSARY THE FISHERMAN, DECEMBER 2011 FISHERIES 3 Failed plan seen in sockeye decline Program to increase spawners retrospective productivity and the cause of the Fraser decline, the ing losses estimated at roughly socioeconomic analyses to inform submission cited evidence pre - $200 million because of lost fish - cited as cause of 2009 collapse future decision-making, and inde - sented by UBC Fisheries Centre ing opportunities, sockeye returns pendent oversight by a scientist Dr. Carl Walters and for - were spiralling downward despite n a final submission to Cohen smolts to such an extent that by Commissioner of Sustainable mer Pacific Salmon Commission higher and higher number of fish Commission, the UFAWU- 2009 the resource was unable to Productivity who is responsible to biologist Dr. Jim Woodey. on the spawning grounds. It was CAW and the Area G replace itself even with the com - the Auditor-General and who Walters, a leading expert on fish not until 2006 that escapement I Trollers pointed to DFO’s mercial fishery completely reports annually to Parliament on populations with UBC, testified levels fell back to maximum sus - 1987 Rebuilding Strategy — closed.” the social and economic conse - earlier this year that had biologists tained yield levels, the paper which resulted in excessively high The submission emphasized noted. Significantly it was that escapements on the Fraser system four main points that Cohen ‘This Commission’s answer... should state emphatically return from that brood year that — as the main reason for the 20- should consider when he sits led to the record run in 2010. year decline of Fraser sockeye, down to complete his report: that the well-intentioned 1987 Rebuilding Strategy In contrast to the Fraser including the 2009 run collapse. 1. The purpose of the Fisheries decline, Alaska’s Bristol Bay sock - The 84-page submission called Act and other federal statutes and created a situation where excessive spawner density eye fishery has had consistent on Commissioner Bruce Cohen treaties is to provide yield (harvest reduced and weakened the out-migrating smolts to such returns over the same 20-year to recommend that the depart - benefits), not conservation of fish period — the result of manage - ment adopt an “adaptive manage - per se. an extent that by 2009 the resource was unable to ment policies that are directed to ment system” for salmon harvest - 2. Maintaining maximum sus - replace itself even with the commercial fishery maximum sustained yield, the ing that would strive for a balance tainable yield (MSY) requires paper pointed out. of maximum sustained yield for maintaining an equilibrium in the completely closed.’ “It is clear...that American fisheries and optimum escape - ecosystem that produces maxi - managers fully understand the ment. They also urged the estab - mum sustainable harvest by quences of DFO’s harvest man - known in 1987 what they have unique biological attributes of lishment of a new Auditor- humans. This requires an under - agement practices. since learned about Fraser River sockeye salmon, particularly the General of Sustainable standing of some basic biological 4. A harvest management sockeye cycles “they probably damaging effects of excessive Production who would provide attributes of sockeye salmon, regime consistent with the statu - would not have recommended spawner density. Understanding oversight for DFO harvest man - including the density-dependent tory purpose of maximizing social (the Rebuilding Strategy).” this..