For the second time, Cooke Aquaculture Pacific has destroyed 800,000 juvenile Atlantic salmon after testing required by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) determined the fish were infected with an exotic strain of Piscine Orthoreovirus (PRV.)
The strain is essentially the same strain of virus found at the Iceland hatchery from which Cooke receives Atlantic salmon eggs.
Cooke had a similar problem last May. Tests on the most current batch recently came back, said Amy Windrope, Region 4 director for WDFW. Two of Cooke’s last three batches of Atlantic salmon in the past year have tested positive for PRV, Windrope said. The third was clean.
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