The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is seeking comments on a disease surveillance plan for salmon in British Columbia.
The aim of the surveillance is to get a comprehensive picture of the health status of B.C. salmon. Fish will be tested for three diseases: infectious haematopoietic necrosis, infectious pancreatic necrosis and infectious salmon anaemia.
The CFIA will lead the surveillance with support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the province of B.C. and industry. All testing, as well as any activities undertaken to respond to confirmed cases of disease, will be directed by science, international guidelines and national aquatic animal-health requirements.
Approximately 5,000 wild salmon will be collected per year for a minimum of two years, starting in this spring. In addition, the CFIA will evaluate ongoing, industry-led testing of farmed salmon.
The design of the proposed surveillance plan was based on internationally accepted surveillance principles and developed by the CFIA in consultation with DFO, the province of B.C. and the United States Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. A summary of the initiative is available on the CFIA website at www.inspection.gc.ca/aquatic.
To request a copy of the detailed draft surveillance initiative, or to submit comments, contact NAAHPPNSAA@inspection.gc.ca. Comments will be accepted until March 16, 2012.
For more information on salmon diseases, visit www.inspection.gc.ca/aquatic or call 1-800-442-2342.
