Feds Don't Regulate Contagious Open Pen Fish Farming Contaminating Wild Fish--Salmon Anemia Kills 90 Percent Of Fish

There are renewed calls for land-based salmon farming following a controversial decision by federal authorities to allow an open-pen fish farm to continue raising salmon infected with a highly contagious fish disease.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recently allowed Cooke Aquaculture to continue to raise open-pen salmon after they contracted infectious salmon anemia (ISA).

Some critics of open-pen fish farming say pens like these increase the risk of wild salmon populations becomming infected from farmed fish. (CBC)

The Atlantic Salmon Federation says due to the contagious nature of the disease, the decision poses a risk to wild salmon in the region.

Bill Taylor, the federation’s president, said in the absence of strict guidelines to eradicate ISA in Atlantic waters, the next best option is to move farmed fish to land-based tanks.

“It is cost competitive and you absolutely eliminate any chance of this sort of disease outbreak,” said Taylor.

“It’s fully contained, the fish can’t escape — it’s best of both worlds.”

According to the CFIA, the disease kills up to 90 per cent of infected fish. Symptoms include a loss of appetite, abnormal swimming patterns, grey gills, or a swollen abdomen. MOREHERE