WGFCI Press Release: Pre-Cohen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wild Game Fish Conservation International Stresses Importance of healthy wild Pacific salmon Vancouver, British Columbia (December 15, 2011) - Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI), based in Olympia Washington, supports the ongoing efforts by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Cohen to determine the cause(s) responsible for the significant decline over the past twenty years of wild Fraser River sockeye salmon.

According to Bruce Treichler, WGFCI co-founder, “Fraser River sockeye salmon and other wild Pacific salmon species along Canada’s and America’s west coasts are vitally important to their fragile ecosystems as well as to the cultures and multi-billion dollar industries they support.

WGFCI is attending two days of the three-day Cohen Commission special Infectious Salmon Anemia virus (ISAv) hearings in order to impress upon Justice Cohen and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans the international importance of robust populations of healthy wild Pacific salmon.”

Jim Wilcox, WGFCI co-founder, said, “WGFCI, our affiliate organizations and associates around planet earth support the ongoing efforts by US Senator Maria Cantwell (Washington State) and other US Senators to coordinate efforts between Canadian and American scientists in order to 1) confirm that ISAv is present in wild Pacific salmon, 2) determine the potential impacts to wild Pacific salmon and to farmed Atlantic salmon in Canada and in America and 3) develop a rapid response strategy to minimize adverse impacts of ISAv and other salmon diseases to wild Pacific salmon, their sensitive ecosystems and to farm-raised Atlantic salmon”.

WGFCI urges Canada and America to:  publish all their results following recent, historic and future ISAv testing  collaborate while developing strategies to respond effectively to recent, historic and future ISAv detections in wild Pacific salmon  sample and test their salmon feedlots, salmon and trout hatcheries, imported salmon eggs and commercially harvested salmon on the boats and at dockside for the ISAv and other potentially harmful salmon diseases .  inform recognized health organizations, government agencies and the general public in the event of an ISAv outbreak or other potential threats to wild Pacific salmon. ### Contact: James Wilcox Publisher, Legacy Wild Game Fish Conservation International (360) 352-7988