On July 6, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the presence of Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) on a salmon aquaculture site on the south coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
This is the first of its kind in this province, sparking media attention, discussion and confusion in the community.
ISA is well documented in the international farming community and at no time has it ever posed a health risk to mammals or humans, only to the fish themselves. We stress therefore that the actions taken are proactive and prove that our early detection system is working through the co-operation of industry, the provincial aquatic animal health division of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA) and the CFIA. Both levels of government and all companies are taking the necessary actions to manage the virus and prevent its spread.
The industry, with assistance from DFA staff, have been actively engaged in the implementation of detailed standard operating procedures as approved by the CFIA to prevent the spread of the virus.
All industry players take this incident very seriously and are committed to the fast and effective removal of all fish from this site.
The aquaculture industry in this province adheres to strict biosecurity protocols through the highest industry standards and compliance with strong provincial and federal regulations.
Our processing plants have rigorous hazard analysis and critical control points and quality control programs that are government inspected and so customers will continue to receive high quality, nutritious and safe food from our farms and plants.
The aquaculture industry is a strong, responsible and viable industry in Newfoundland and Labrador.
We are committed to the rural and coastal communities where we farm and to the long-term sustainability of our sector for generations to come in this province.
For more information please visit www.naia.ca.
Miranda Pryor
executive director
Newfoundland Aquaculture
Industry Association
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