Proceedings 2019/022

Proceedings of the National Science Peer Review of the Assessment of Risk to Fraser River Sockeye Salmon due to piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) transfer from Atlantic Salmon Farms located in the Discovery Islands Area, British Columbia; January 28-30, 2019

Chairperson: Gilles Olivier and Craig Stephen

Editor: Lily Weber

Summary

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), under the Sustainable Aquaculture Program, is committed to deliver environmental risk assessments to support science-based decision making related to aquaculture activities. DFO's Aquaculture Management Directorate requested for peer-reviewed science advice through the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) on the risks to Fraser River Sockeye Salmon due to pathogen transfer from marine Atlantic Salmon farms located in the Discovery Islands area in British Columbia. This request supports DFO's role in the management of aquaculture in British Columbia and aligns with recommendations in the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River, including recommendations 18 and 19 on risks to wild fish populations related to pathogen transfer from farms and other fish health related recommendations. The advice was provided, as part of the Aquaculture Science Environmental Risk Assessment Initiative, through a series of pathogen transfer risk assessments, with this sixth assessment focusing on piscine orthoreovirus (PRV).

A CSAS peer-review meeting was held from January 28 to 30, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, with the objective of providing science advice based on the review of the relevant scientific knowledge presented in the pathogen characterization working paper and related risk assessment working paper. Meeting participants included experts from DFO, provincial jurisdictions, industry, First Nations, environmental non-governmental organizations, and invited experts from abroad.

This Proceedings Report summarizes the key information presented at the meeting, as well as the relevant meeting discussions and conclusions reached. The science advice resulting from this meeting is published in the Science Advisory Report series on the DFO CSAS website. The two working papers presented at the meeting are published in the Research Document series.

Complete document (PDF, 448 KB)

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