Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada-based Cooke Aquaculture has confirmed an outbreak of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) at the North of Killbuck Cove salmon farm site near McCallum, Newfoundland.
The site, operated by Cooke subsidiary Cold Ocean Salmon Inc., contains six cages stocked with approximately 340,000 Atlantic salmon, according to a company filing via the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association.
In its statement, the company said it will harvest all salmon at the affected site “using approved and biosecure standard operating procedures.”
“This proactive approach to removing fish immediately following a detection has proven to be the most successful method for managing this virus,” it said. “The company has taken all the responsible steps under the oversight of the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries and Land Resources and is following government approved policies.”
The detection of the presence of ISA was identified as a result of the FLR Atlantic salmon aquatic animal health surveillance program, Cooke said. ISA is a naturally occurring virus and is not a human health issue or a food safety issue, it added.
Earlier this year, Cooke reported Cold Ocean Salmon experienced thousands of Atlantic salmon and trout mortalities due to severe winter storm events.
In April, it said its Manual Arm site experienced 28.5 percent mortalities, or more than 170,000 Atlantic Salmon, in February. And in May, 30 percent of the trout being carried onboard the Ronja Carrier wellboat between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, died as a result of exposure to a residual disinfectant in one hold of the vessel. The accident resulted in the mortality of 19,800 fish, according to an NAIA filing from the company.
Photo courtesy of Memorial University
