Farmageddon

In Ireland, IPN first hit the industry in 2003 causing significant problems in 2006. A report – ―Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus and its impact on the Irish Salmon Aquaculture and Wild Fish sectors‖ - published in 2007 by the Marine Institute in Ireland stated: ―The first reported clinical outbreak of IPN in Atlantic salmon occurred in 2003. However in 2006 severe outbreaks in a number of freshwater salmon hatcheries occurred which were all linked to imports from a specific single source. To date, clinical outbreaks of IPN in Ireland have been associated with imports of infected ova and their subsequent movement within the country.‖ The report pinpointed Scotland as the source of IPN infection: ―In 2006, clinical outbreaks of IPN occurred in five salmon hatcheries. All five hatcheries had imported ova from a single source in Scotland.‖ Escaped farmed salmon have also acted as vectors in the spread of IPN. In 2003, for example, escapes occurred from several IPN-infected salmon farms in Scotland.

A scientific paper – ―Disease interaction and pathogens exchange between wild and farmed fish populations with special reference to Norway‖ – published in the journal Aquaculture in May 2011 reported that: ―Out of 8 Atlantic salmon positive for IPNV in 2008, 7 were escaped farmed fish‖ and that ―There is increasing evidence that IPNV may be transferred from farmed to wild fish through contact with discharges and products from IPNVcontaminated farms.‖ The paper reported that: ―High proportions of the farmed fish undergoing an IPNV infection develop a lifelong persistent infection. Thus, farmed fish may be the most important reservoir of IPNV in the aquatic environment.‖ IPN can also be spread via infected eggs- so-called ‗vertical transmission‘. A report – ―Fish Egg Trade: Pathogen survival outside the host, and susceptibility to disinfection‖ – published in 2005 by the European Commission stated: ―there is clear evidence in the scientific literature for vertical transmission of IPNV via the fertilised egg of trout species and that disinfection of the eggs does not prevent this suggesting the virus is within the fertilised egg.‖ A report - ―Review of fish disease interactions and pathogen exchange between farmed and wild finfish and shellfish in Europe‖ – published in 2007 by the European Union stated that: ―The disease has spread throughout the world (OIE 2006) largely through the movement of live fish and eggs (Reno 1999).‖ Pancreas Disease (Salmon Pancreas Disease Virus/Salmonid Alphavirus Disease/Sleeping Disease)