They get a few things wrong many times.
It was 1.5 Million instead of 15 Million. Someone forgot to put in the decimal. They bad I guess. Other than that what else about the news article was incorrect, Chris?
I have been reading Morton’s posts in her Facebook page and she is still very delusional. She is completely forgetting what Justice Cohen said in his findings, especially about ISAv and ISA. She is also ignoring the results of viral surveillance work from the Alaska, Canada and Washington State. Cohen's comments about ISAv and ISA are right there in the report (Volume 2, Chapters 4 and 5). All 4 expert witnesses (Nylund, Miller, Gagne and even Kibenge) weighed in on this and this is what Justice Cohen said in Chapter 4 (Decline-related evidence):
Although they did not agree on whether ISAv or an ISAv-like virus was present, all agreed that more research was necessary and that, whether ISAv is present or not, there had been no confirmation of ISA in any of the Pacific salmon tested by the time of the December hearings. As stated in Volume 1, Chapter 9, Fish health management, I find that the evidence does not allow me to conclude whether ISAv or an ISAv-like virus currently exists in Fraser River sockeye. However, I accept the opinion of the expert panel (Dr. Kibenge, Dr. Nylund, Ms. Gagné, and Dr. Miller) that, as of December 2011, there was no evidence that fish tested for ISAv (the virus) suffered from ISA (the disease) as that disease was then understood. – Justice Bruce Cohen Final Report (Vol. 2; Ch. 4; pg. 60).
Yet, she drags up some select exhibits from the inquiry - not mentioning that one exhibit alone was not used in Cohen’s findings and recommendations. Of course she is going to find exhibits that make her case, but one needs to take in all the exhibits and weigh what they are saying. She is only showing a snap shot but anyone that has followed the inquiry knows full well that she isn’t telling the whole story.
Now her followers on Facebook are turning their guns on the media (i.e. The Province) and blaming them. Now I have always been critical of the media getting things wrong, but to start blaming the media like they are doing is really sad because attacking the messenger (even if they wrote the article entirely incorrect) in this case does nothing to change the fact that ISAv and ISA have not been confirmed in BC waters. It doesn’t change the fact that if virulent ISAv were present on BC fish farms there would be millions of Atlantic Salmon dead. If Morton is so convinced that this work done by the US and Canada is so wrong then let’s see the published work (including methods) of her viral surveillance work so we can compare. The fact is that we will never see the light of day of this work. Who is really not being transparent? As it stands now both the Canada and the US have posted their work online for the public to see and critique.
What is surprising is that Morton’s followers on Facebook that are supposedly supporters of science are against research being done locally because of work done in other countries which apparently prove their point with what is going on here. Well, their opinions in this regard are contrary to what came out of the Cohen Inquiry. Cohen’s clearly said in his report that there are data gaps here that needed to be address. Here…not Norway, Chile, Thailand or Malta. I don’t believe seeing a recommendation that said, “don’t do any research here and instead just read studies done in other countries.” Funding like this is needed because good research is not inexpensive and government is not providing enough. This work also aligns with other work underway; such as, the Fish Health Initiative by Genome BC/PSF/DFO and the Salish Sea Project.
Instead, Morton supporters are being encouraged to ignore research to help address these data gaps and instead fund an expensive negative advertising campaign which does nothing to help wild salmon where they need it. The media gets the money – not the biologists or technicians that actually need the funding. Does that seem right? Where are all these farm critics that were so adamant that research was not getting done and that nobody seemed to care? Morton is quickly losing whatever credibility she has left with the scientific community. Her followers on Facebook are trying support Morton like trying to arrange deck chairs on the Titanic. She is frustrated that Cohen’s Report didn’t align with her views and is now desperate.