Risk factors associated with mortalities attributed to infectious salmon anaemia virus in New Brunswick, Canada

Outbreaks of unexplained mortalities attributed to infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) were examined in the 1996 year class of Atlantic salmon in three regions of New Brunswick, Canada. A total of 218 net pens at 14 sites deemed to have been exposed to ISA virus (ISAV) were surveyed for mortality records and management, environmental and host characteristics. Based on definitions of mortality patterns, clinical ISA disease outbreaks occurred in 106 net pens. There were eight sites in which >50% of net pens experienced ISA outbreaks during the study period. Factors related to their potential role in transmission of virus to new sites or new net pens at the same site were identified as sea lice vectors, divers visiting multiple sites, sites belonging to companies with more than one site, exposure to other year classes at the site, and proximity to other infected net pens. Host resistance factors associated with greater risk of outbreaks were identified as larger groupings, general health following smolt transfer, stressful husbandry procedures during growout, and health or productivity during colder water periods. Despite very close proximity between sites, modification of these management factors would probably influence the severity of mortalities caused by ISAV.     

福建省大型抗风浪网箱养殖调查报告

本次调查实地调访了282口网箱,占全省总箱数的65.3%。结果表明,目前福建省抗风浪网箱的养殖种类为真鲷、大黄鱼和美国红鱼,分别占投苗总数的35.9%、24.1%和13.2%,这些种类也是传统网箱养殖的主要种类。抗风浪网箱养殖已呈现出抗台风和环境水质好、病害少、成品鱼品质好、应用海域广阔等优点,养殖真鲷的平均生产水平为9.041 kg/m3,不计设施投资的平均利润率为23.9%,经济效益已初步显现。与传统网箱养殖相比,目前抗风浪网箱养殖苗种个体大、成活率高,但投苗密度低,生产水平仅与传统网箱相当,且存在着空置率高、海域使用不合理等问题,抗风浪网箱养殖的优势还没有得到充分发挥。养殖品种、网箱管理与维护配套设施、饵料和养殖规划等技术问题急需解决。     

Protein degradation and protease activity of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) muscle during spawning migration

Sarcoplasmic protein content decreased significantly and myosin heavy chain was degraded gradually during spawning migration of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta). Acid and neutral proteinase activities increased significantly during spawning migration. These proteinase activities were higher in females than in males. High levels of acid proteinase were not caused by the injury of lysosomal membranes. Considering the physiological states of chum salmon, neutral proteinase activity might be related to the degradation of muscle protein. As the changes in serum sex steroids were similar to those in the protease activities during spawning migration, it was considered that high levels of protease activity during spawning migration were closely related to the serum levels of androgens.     

Sea lice treatments, management practices and sea lice sampling methods on Atlantic salmon farms in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada

Proper monitoring of all stages of sea lice is imperative to ensure the strategic timing of treatments. Although sea lice receive close attention and management for production purposes, there are no regulations for the reporting of lice burdens on salmon farms in Atlantic Canada, nor are there officially standardized protocols for conducting sea lice counts in the field. The purpose of this study was to complete a survey of Atlantic salmon farms in the Bay of Fundy, NB, Canada. The survey addressed many aspects of sea lice monitoring and control, including methods for sea lice sampling at the site, types of treatments administered for control of sea lice and management practices and decisions regarding the control of sea lice. A total of 83 surveys were completed from July to December 2002. Twelve of the 60 respondents owned and/or operated more than one site and completed a survey for each of their sites at the time of the interview. The position of individuals surveyed included 48 site managers (representing 63 sites), three site owners (representing 11 sites), eight individuals who were both owner and manager (representing nine sites) and one site veterinarian (representing one site). Surveys were completed on 30 sites from the Limekiln Bay and surrounding areas, 23 sites from Grand Manan Island, 18 sites from Deer Island, six sites from Campobello Island and six sites from Passamaquoddy Bay. Fish farmers, in concert with their veterinarians, generally perform intensive monitoring and control practices. However, there is a continued reliance on emamectin benzoate (SLICE^®) for sea lice control on Atlantic salmon farms in the Bay of Fundy, which raises concerns regarding the potential for sea lice to develop resistance to the drug.     

Diel migration patterns of Atlantic salmon smolts with particular reference to the absence of crepuscular migration

Abstract –  The real-time diel pattern of Atlantic salmon smolt migration was observed for 8 years using automatic resistivity counters verified by video surveillance. A clear dominant nocturnal migration was demonstrated early in the migration period, later becoming increasingly diurnal, until rates became approximately equal at day and night. Migration patterns were related to water temperature, such that when mean daily temperatures were below 12 °C, hourly rates of migration were significantly lower during the day than at night. When daily mean temperatures exceeded 12 °C, there was no significant difference between diurnal and nocturnal migration rates. Migration patterns showed a distinct suppression of migration at dawn and dusk throughout the migration period. It is hypothesised that this behaviour is an active decision and/or an adaptive strategy either to take advantage of increased food in the form of invertebrate drift or to reduce predation risk from actively feeding piscivores or both.     

A system for automatic recording of fish tagged with coded acoustic transmitters

A telemetry system designed to automatically record the presence and swimming direction of fish tagged with coded acoustic transmitters is described. The present paper presents results from an extensive mapping of signal strengths and the proportion of correctly identified codes from a transmitter at various positions outside automatic listening stations (ALS). The system is evaluated on the basis of two field seasons, during which 107 Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were tagged with acoustic transmitters in a fjord system in south-western Norway. By installing one ALS (two at high water discharges) in the mouth of the River Suldalslågen and two ALSs in the Hylsfjord, the presence and swimming direction of all tagged salmon entering the river and the inner part of the 750-m-wide Hylsfjord were recorded.