In response to a February court ruling, the DFO will soon begin testing BC fish farm operations for a deadly salmon virus.
Prior to that ruling, aquaculture activists had spent over 6 years fighting for mandatory testing of piscine orthoreovirus, or PRV.
PRV has been found to be incredibly harmful to Atlantic Salmon populations farmed in Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
But some recent studies have argued that the virus does not impact BC’s populations in the same way.
Nontheless, the February ruling ordered the DFO to revise its testing policy within four months.
A 60 day consultation process for Indigenous, environmental, and industry groups will now take place before a new federal policy is announced within 6 months.
