The B.C. Salmon Farmers' Association has responded to the Cohen Commission's demand for more information on the health of farmed salmon going back to the year 2000.

On the association's website, Executive Director Mary Ellen Walling wrote:

The original request by the Conservation and Aquaculture coalitions asked for fish health information on salmon farms and in wild salmon back into the late 1980s. In October, commission counsel made an interim request for five years worth of data from 21 farms. The BC Salmon Farmers Association presented that information quickly.

As for the broader information request by anti-salmon farm campaigners, the BCSFA advised the commission that the industry-wide fish health database only began in 2002 - and records before that time are either not available, or not accessible in a timely, consistent way.

As for the broader information request by anti-salmon farm campaigners, the BCSFA advised the commission that the industry-wide fish health database only began in 2002 - and records before that time are either not available, or not accessible in a timely, consistent way.

... It's important to remember that there are a multitude of factors affecting wild salmon returns and the most recent run came in at 35 million salmon, a record return in the last 100 years. This Commission has been tasked with reviewing all of the impacts facing wild salmon and we are pleased to assist them with their important work.

Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.