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| Potential virus killing Fraser sockeye |
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What is it and where did it come from?
(Sointula, BC, January 14, 2011) A study published in the prestigious journal, SCIENCE, by lead author Dr. Kristina Miller of Fisheries and Oceans Canada reports on genetic evidence that a virus maybe killing up to 95% of some Fraser sockeye stocks just before spawning.
"Our hypothesis is that the genomic signal associated with elevated mortality is in response to a virus infecting fish before river entry and that persists to the spawning areas."
Dr. Alexandra Morton of Raincoast Research says, "it is evident from this paper that DFO has known about this potential virus since 2006, but after four years they are still not certain what it is. The evolution of new viral strains is often associated with abnormal concentrations of animals or birds, like avian flu. We need to know if this is indeed a virus, if it is related to the farm salmon disease, salmon leukemia and if there is something we can do about it."
DFO studies in the 1990s documented salmon leukemia in Chinook salmon farms and found it could infect Atlantic and sockeye salmon. At the same time the number of Fraser sockeye dying just before spawning began increasing, called "prespawn mortality". In 2006, Dr. Miller, found the genomic signature of these dying sockeye had a distinctive "unhealthy" profile that may be a form of leukemia. Salmon Leukemia is a retrovirus. Retroviruses are known to exhibit a high mutation rate.
"Did this virus start in the wild, become amplified in the farm Chinook and mutate to infect the millions of nearby introduced Atlantic salmon altering it to become unidentifiable?" asks Morton. "DFO has significantly delayed this critical research by keeping this secret."
There is one stock of Fraser sockeye that has not been on the rollercoaster of decline and boom. The Harrison sockeye, which have been steadily increasing over the past 18 years, are not found migrating to sea through the salmon feedlots of eastern Vancouver Island, researchers believe they go to sea via southern Vancouver Island.
In a Vancouver Sun article one of the co-authors, Dr. Scott Hinch of UBC notes there have been insufficient funds to tackle this issue.
In November, the Globe and Mail published a leaked memo to the Minister of Fisheries that suggested disease as a leading possibility for the 2009 Fraser sockeye decline, but DFO did not make this information public. Morton's attempt to cross-examine on that document at the Cohen Commission was refused at the time. "We hope that Commissioner Cohen will now look into what else DFO knows about this situation and the possibility that DFO has been protecting the salmon farming industry, at the expense of the $1 billion Fraser sockeye fishery," says Morton.
"I will also raise questions at the Cohen Commission whether DFO has fully supported Dr. Miller in her pursuit of this critical work and whether Miller has been given full access to the farm salmon populations for testing?" Last month Morton's lawyers asked for the Cohen Commission to hold a special portion of the hearing to look into whether this potential virus is impacting wild sockeye and whether this is a mutated form of salmon leukemia.
Morton has started a petition to urge Minister Shea to allow Dr. Miller to test the salmon feedlots for this disease: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEtNMExpVGpXZ2U4R3J1dFdhQVJxU3c6MQ |
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Article |
Topics |
Date |
| 1. |
Spring Fishery Updates 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Mar 2013 |
| 2. |
Fly Epoxy Chum Fry |
Flys |
Feb 2013 |
| 3. |
Best Fishing Story of 2012 |
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Feb 2013 |
| 4. |
Salmon fishing outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon |
Jan 2013 |
| 5. |
Fly Tadpoles |
Flys |
Jan 2013 |
| 6. |
Fishing Outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon, Sturgeon |
Dec 2012 |
| 7. |
Fly Steelhead Muddler |
Flys, Steelhead |
Dec 2012 |
| 8. |
Fly Bacon n eggers |
Flyfishing, Salmon |
Dec 2012 |
| 9. |
Keeping a journal |
Technique |
Dec 2012 |
| 10. |
Fly Egg-sukin leech |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 11. |
Fly Steelhead Madness |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 12. |
White Lake |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Aug 2012 |
| 13. |
Fly Orangesicle |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 14. |
Fly Blue Morrison baitfish |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 15. |
Fly fishing the Estuary (Amundson Thompson Chaser Fly Rod Review) |
Flyfishing, Tackle |
Jul 2012 |
| 16. |
Sockeye Strategies |
Salmon |
Jul 2012 |
| 17. |
Ultimate Squid TUBE |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 18. |
Roche Lake |
Flyfishing |
Jun 2012 |
| 19. |
Fly Coho Blue-zer |
Flys, Salmon |
Jun 2012 |
| 20. |
Flies Webflyzers |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 21. |
Vancouver Island's Esperanza Inlet |
Halibut, Salmon, Vancouver Island |
May 2012 |
| 22. |
Fly Purple Peril |
Flys |
May 2012 |
| 23. |
Trolling for trout |
Trolling, Trout |
Apr 2012 |
| 24. |
Fly Blue Note |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 25. |
Fly Kalumlow |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 26. |
Fly Skeena Scar |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 27. |
Fly Polar Express |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 28. |
Sturgeon fishing in Vancouver British Columbia |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 29. |
Strategies for Catching Sturgeon |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 30. |
Fly Copper Gammarus |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 31. |
Fly Alley Alevin |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 32. |
Fly Hilton Boss |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 33. |
A Guided Steelhead Trip on the River |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 34. |
Fly Polar UV shrimp |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 35. |
Egg-sukin Beaver Leech |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 36. |
Fly Chardolas Bait |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 37. |
Don't be afraid to try anything |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 38. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 Ryan Spannier |
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Feb 2012 |
| 39. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 by Bob Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 40. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 David Sandquist |
Kids, Salmon |
Feb 2012 |
| 41. |
Fly Reeds Spey |
Flyfishing |
Feb 2012 |
| 42. |
Jet Boat Maintenance |
Boats |
Dec 2011 |
| 43. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe BBQ and Honey |
Recipes, Salmon |
Dec 2011 |
| 44. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Dec 2011 |
| 45. |
Fly Blue Charmer |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 46. |
Fly Muddy Waters |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 47. |
Fly - The Excursion Leech |
Flyfishing |
Nov 2011 |
| 48. |
Herb and Garlic Crusted Halibut with oven roasted ratatouille |
Halibut, Recipes |
Oct 2011 |
| 49. |
The Banner Season |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Jun 2011 |
| 50. |
voteforsalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 51. |
Votesalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 52. |
Rivers Inlet Hatchery Program |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 53. |
Mayday for Wild Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Mar 2011 |
| 54. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story David Sandquist |
Flyfishing, Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 55. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Honourary mention Ron Gibson |
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Feb 2011 |
| 56. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Bog Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 57. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Brian Wong |
Salmon |
Feb 2011 |
| 58. |
Does Fish Cooking Techniques Matter |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 59. |
Mediterranean Fish Fillets |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 60. |
Virus Killing Fraser Sockeye |
Conservaton, Fish, Salmon |
Jan 2011 |
| 61. |
Halibut Fishery |
Conservaton, Hallibut |
Dec 2010 |
| 62. |
Salmon Virus watch |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2010 |
| 63. |
Disease Information |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 64. |
Sea lice kept secret |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 65. |
Catch the Dream |
Halibut, Salmon, Trolling |
May 2010 |
| 66. |
Oak Bay Marine Group Newsletter |
Salmon |
Mar 2010 |
| 67. |
Quesnel Lake |
Trout |
Jan 2010 |
| 68. |
Art of Curing and Smoking Fish |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 69. |
Bradley's Famous Hot Smoked Salmon |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 70. |
Salmon fishery action suit |
Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 71. |
Save B.C. Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 72. |
Winner of the Giver on the River Free Charter |
Fish |
Sep 2009 |
| 73. |
Oven bbq salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 74. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Aug 2009 |
| 75. |
Salmon Creole |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 76. |
Australia Fishing |
Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 77. |
Horseradish and Dill Butter Salmon Steaks |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 78. |
Navigating a boat purchase |
Boats |
Jul 2009 |
| 79. |
Salmon with a Homemade Grain Mustard Crust |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 80. |
Halibut with Fennel Broth |
Halibut, Recipes |
Jul 2009 |
| 81. |
Cedar Plank Salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jun 2009 |
| 82. |
Islander Winner 2009 |
Tackle |
Jun 2009 |
| 83. |
Just Get In the Water |
Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 84. |
Saltwater Night Fishing for Salmon |
Salmon, Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 85. |
Steelhead & Salmon Warfare |
Salmon, Steelhead |
Jun 2009 |
| 86. |
Deep Running Giant Salmon |
Salmon |
May 2009 |
| 87. |
Salmon Scampi |
Recipes |
Apr 2009 |
| 88. |
Dandelion Stuffed Chaunigan Trout |
Recipes, Trout |
Apr 2009 |
| 89. |
Living Rivers - Georgia Basin and Vancouver Island |
Conservaton |
Apr 2009 |
| 90. |
Salmon steak recipe |
Recipes, Salmon |
Mar 2009 |
| 91. |
Chaunigan Trout Recipe |
Recipes, Trout |
Mar 2009 |
| 92. |
Best catch of 2008 |
Flyfishing, Kids, Salmon, Steelhead, Trout |
Feb 2009 |
| 93. |
The Great Chilko Bear Adventure |
Bears |
Feb 2009 |
| 94. |
Seasonal Outlook for 2010 |
Salmon, Seasons, Steelhead, Sturgeon, Trout |
Jan 2009 |
| 95. |
A Fishing Trip with REEL OBSESSIONS Vancouver Island. |
Salmon, Trolling |
Jan 2009 |
| 96. |
Carp fishing from a different angle |
Carp |
Sep 2008 |
| 97. |
Fish British Columbia With a Timeshare |
Accommodation |
Apr 2008 |
| 98. |
Hurt by aquaculture industry |
Salmon |
Nov 2007 |
| 99. |
BC wild salmon endangered by failure to contain sea lice from salmon farms |
Conservaton |
Sep 2007 |
| 100. |
Go Fish |
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Aug 2007 |
| 101. |
Studies show harmful impact of BC coast salmon farms on wild Pacific salmon |
Salmon |
Aug 2007 |
| 102. |
Lynn's Fishing Adventure |
Sturgeon, Trout |
Jul 2007 |
| 103. |
Chilliwack River Action Committee |
Conservaton |
Apr 2007 |
| 104. |
Indian Candy Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Mar 2007 |
| 105. |
Fishing Articles and archived fishing posts |
|
Mar 2007 |
| 106. |
Curing Eggs |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 107. |
Fishing for Chum Salmon |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 108. |
Salmon Eating - After They Change Colour |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 109. |
A guides Perspective - The Fraser River |
Salmon, Seasons, Sturgeon, Trout |
Aug 2005 |
| 110. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Dec 2004 |
| 111. |
Fishing in Harrison Hot Springs |
|
Aug 2004 |
| 112. |
Jet vs. Outboard |
Boats |
Aug 2004 |
| 113. |
Helpful Hints, Tips and Tricks |
Tackle |
Mar 2004 |
| 114. |
Uncle Wes - Farewell Old Friend |
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Dec 2003 |
| 115. |
Cow Paddy Pond |
Trout |
Oct 2003 |
| 116. |
12 Seasons of Fishing the Kitimat |
Flyfishing, Salmon, Seasons, Trout |
Apr 2003 |
| 117. |
Sara, Guardian of the Lake |
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Jul 2002 |
| 118. |
Portrait of a Mountain Man |
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May 2002 |
| 119. |
Carving the Salmon Pie |
Salmon |
May 2001 |
| 120. |
Spoon Fishing Lakes From The Bank |
Tackle, Trout |
Mar 2001 |
| 121. |
Vedder River Fishing “Fall options” |
Salmon, Seasons |
Mar 2001 |
| 122. |
Slippery Spotted Owls |
Salmon |
Jul 1998 |
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