Our declarations of reportable disease status describe:
- where the reportable aquatic animal diseases are known to occur in Canada (infected area)
- where the reportable aquatic animal diseases may occur because of a link to an infected area (buffer area), or
- where they do not occur (free area or provisionally free area)
It should be noted that not all susceptible species of aquatic animals are infected with the reportable disease if they reside in an infected area.
Currently, only finfish and mollusc reportable diseases are known to occur in Canada. No reportable diseases that affect crustaceans are declared at this time.
- Finfish Reportable Diseases – Declarations by Province and Marine Area
- Mollusc Reportable Diseases – Declarations by Province and Marine Area
For finfish, the reportable diseases that occur in certain areas of Canada are:
- ceratomyxosis (infection with Ceratomyxa shasta);
- infectious haematopoietic necrosis
- infectious pancreatic necrosis
- infectious salmon anaemia
- viral haemorrhagic septicaemia; and
- whirling disease (infection with Myxobolus cerebralis)
Specific strains of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) will be declared:
- VHSV IVa
- VHSV IVb
- VHSV IVc
For molluscs, the reportable diseases that occur in certain areas:
- infection with Bonamia ostreae
- infection with Haplosporidium nelsoni (also known as MSX);
- infection with Mikrocytos mackini (also known as Denman Island disease); and
We are responding to the presence of Perkinsus marinus (also known as Dermo) in oysters collected in New Brunswick (NB) and Nova Scotia (NS).
The description of the declared areas made under section 198 of the Health of Animals Regulations is solely for the purpose of determining whether a permit is required to move a declared susceptible species of finfish or mollusc or declared thing. These descriptions cannot be used for any other federal, provincial or municipal legislative or regulatory requirement.
The declarations are made for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, the Yukon Territory and parts of the territorial sea and contiguous zone of Canada.
For the purposes of issuing a permit, the internal waters that are marine in nature and landward of the internal boundary of the territorial sea of Canada (as described by the Oceans Act of Canada) are part of the declaration of the coastal provinces. Most, if not all, of the finfish and mollusc culture activities in marine waters are captured in the declarations of the coastal provinces, not the territorial sea and contiguous zone of Canada.
No declarations are made at this time for Nunavut and the Northwest Territories as there is no identified trade of high risk aquatic animals or things from or to those areas.
Permits to move finfish
A permit may be required to move the listed species of live or raw, fresh or frozen finfish including germplasm and fertilized eggs, for the following end uses:
- cryopreservation/storage
- culture
- diagnostic testing
- feed for finfish
- other testing
- release into natural waterways, and
- research
This table lists the finfish species that may require a permit. All hybrids of these species will also require a permit.
| Finfish Species | Common Name | Disease Susceptibility |
|---|---|---|
| Acipenser transmontanus | white sturgeon | infectious haematopoietic necrosis |
| Ambloplites rupestris | rock bass | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Ameiurus nebulosus | brown bullhead | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Ammodytes hexapterus | Pacific sand lance | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Ammodytes personatus | Pacific sand eel | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Anguilla anguilla | European eel | infectious haematopoietic necrosis |
| Aplodinotus grunniens | freshwater drum | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Aulorhynchus flavidus | tube snout | infectious haematopoietic necrosis |
| Carrasius auratus | goldfish | infectious pancreatic necrosis |
| Catostomus commersonii | white sucker | infectious pancreatic necrosis |
| Clupea harengus | Atlantic herring | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Clupea pallasii | Pacific herring | infectious haematopoietic necrosis viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Coregonus artedii | lake herring | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Coregonus clupeaformis | lake whitefish | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Cymatogaster aggregate | shiner perch | infectious haematopoietic necrosis viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Cyprinus carpio (koi) | common carp (koi carp) | infectious pancreatic necrosis |
| Dorosoma cepedianum | American gizzard shad | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Esox masquinongy | muskellunge | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Esox lucius | northern pike | infectious haematopoietic necrosis viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Fundulus heteroclitus | mummichog | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVc |
| Gadus morhua | Atlantic cod | infectious haematopoietic necrosis |
| Gadus macrocephalus | Pacific cod | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Gasterosteus aculeatus | three-spined stickleback | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVc |
| Ictalurus punctatus | channel catfish | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Lepomis gibbosus | pumpkinseed | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Lepomis macrochirus | bluegill | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Lota lota | burbot | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Merluccius productus | North Pacific hake | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Microgadus proximus | Pacific tomcod | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Micropterus dolomieu | smallmouth bass | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Micropterus salmoides | largemouth black bass | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Morone americana | white perch | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Morone chrysops | white bass | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Morone saxatilis | striped bass | infectious pancreatic necrosis viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVc |
| Moxostoma anisurum | silver redhorse | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Moxostoma macrolepidotum | shorthead redhorse | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Neogobius melanostomus | round goby | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Notropis atherinoides | emerald shiner | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Notropis hudsonius | spottail shiner | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Oncorhynchus clarkii | cutthroat trout | ceratomyxosis infectious haematopoietic necrosis infectious pancreatic necrosis whirling disease |
| Oncorhynchus gorbuscha | pink salmon | ceratomyxosis |
| Oncorhynchus keta | chum salmon | ceratomyxosis infectious haematopoietic necrosis infectious pancreatic necrosis |
| Oncorhynchus kisutch | coho salmon | ceratomyxosis infectious haematopoietic necrosis viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa whirling disease |
| Oncorhynchus masou | Masu salmon | infectious haematopoietic necrosis infectious pancreatic necrosis |
| Oncorhynchus mykiss | rainbow trout | ceratomyxosis infectious haemtopoietic necrosis infectious pancreatic necrosis infectious salmon anaemia viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb whirling disease |
| Oncorhynchus nerka | sockeye salmon | ceratomyxosis infectious haematopoietic necrosis whirling disease |
| Oncorhynchus tshawytscha | chinook salmon | ceratomyxosis infectious haematopoietic necrosis viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb whirling disease |
| Perca flavescens | American yellow perch | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Percopsis omiscomaycus | trout-perch | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Pimephales notatus | bluntnose minnow | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Pimephales promelas | fathead minnow | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Plecoglossus altivelis | ayu | infectious haematopoietic necrosis |
| Pomoxis nigromaculatus | black crappie | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Prosopium williamsoni | rocky-mountain whitefish | whirling disease |
| Salmo salar | Atlantic salmon | ceratomyxosis infectious haematopoietic necrosis infectious pancreatic necrosis infectious salmon anaemia viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa whirling disease |
| Salmo trutta | brown trout | infectious haematopoietic necrosis infectious pancreatic necrosis infectious salmon anaemia viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVc whirling disease |
| Salvelinus alpinus | Arctic char | infectious haematopoietic necrosis infectious pancreatic necrosis |
| Salvelinus confluentus | bull trout | whirling disease |
| Salvelinus fontinalis | brook trout | infectious haematopoietic necrosis infectious pancreatic necrosis whirling disease |
| Salvelinus leucomaenis | whitespotted char | infectious haematopoietic necrosis |
| Salvelinus malma | Dolly Varden | infectious pancreatic necrosis |
| Salvelinus namaycush | lake trout | infectious haematopoietic necrosis infectious pancreatic necrosis viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Sander vitreus | walleye | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVb |
| Sardinops sagax | South American pilchard | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Scomber japonicus | chub mackerel | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Theragra chalcogramma | Alaska pollack | viral haemorrhagic septicaemia IVa |
| Thymallus arcticus | Arctic grayling | infectious haematopoietic necrosis |
| Thymallus thymallus | grayling | infectious pancreatic necrosis |
A CFIA permit is not required if the finfish species is not listed in this table.
Permits to move molluscs
A permit may be required to move the following species of live or raw, fresh or frozen molluscs for the following end uses:
- culture
- diagnostic testing
- other testing
- processing
- release into natural waterways
- research, and
- retail or wholesale for human consumption
This table lists the molluscan species that may require a permit. All hybrids of these species will also require a permit.
| Mollusc Species | Common Name | Disease Susceptibility |
|---|---|---|
| Crassostrea ariakensis | suminoe oyster | Bonamia ostreae Perkinsus marinus |
| Crassostrea corteziensis | Cortez oyster | Perkinsus marinus |
| Crassostrea gigas | Pacific cupped oyster | Haplosporidium nelsoni Mikrocytos mackini |
| Crassostrea virginica | American oyster | Haplosporidium nelsoni Microcytos mackini Perkinsus marinus |
| Ostrea angasi | southern flat oyster | Bonamia ostreae |
| Ostrea chilensis | Chilean flat oyster | Bonamia ostreae |
| Ostrea conchaphila | Olympia oyster | Mikrocytos mackini |
| Ostrea denselamellosa | Asiatic oyster | Bonamia ostreae |
| Ostrea edulis | European flat oyster | Bonamia ostreae Mikroctyos mackini |
| Ostrea lutaria | New Zealand dredge oyster | Bonamia ostreae |
| Ostrea puelchana | Argentinean flat oyster | Bonamia ostreae |
| Saccrostea palmula | palmate oyster | Perkinsus marinus |
A CFIA permit is not required if the mollusc species is not listed in this table.
Permits to move things
A permit may be required to move equipment and water that has come into direct contact with and are used in the culture, collection, harvesting, processing or transport of declared susceptible species.
- used finfish equipment and things may include:
- graders/sorters
- pumps
- net-pens
- underwater lights for finfish aquaculture
- raw, fresh or frozen carcasses of the biological vector for ceratomyxosis and whirling disease
- containers with the live declared reportable disease agents, including the biological vector for ceratomyxosis and whirling disease, and
- freshwater sediments
- used mollusc equipment and things may include:
- containers with the live declared reportable disease agents
- processing equipment; graders, sorters, tumblers, chippers, storage containers or totes
- harvesting equipment; tongs, nets, culling boards, dredges
- culture equipment; floats/cages, lines, bags, and
- transportation containers; boxes, totes, bags
To determine if a permit is required to send aquatic animals or things:
- identify all the finfish or molluscs diseases that apply for the species to be moved or for a thing.
- containers with the live declared reportable disease agents
- select the declaration Finfish Reportable Diseases or Mollusc Reportable Diseases where the aquatic animals or things are located and determine if they reside in an infected area, buffer area, provisionally free area or free area for each identified disease.
- select the declaration Finfish Reportable Diseases or Mollusc Reportable Diseases where the animal or thing will be moved to and determine if the destination is an infected area, buffer area, provisionally free area or free area for each identified disease. A permit is needed if the aquatic animals or things will be moved from a:
A permit is needed if the aquatic animals or things will be moved from a:
- declared infected area to a declared buffer area, provisionally-free area or free area
- declared buffer area to another declared buffer area, provisionally-free area or free area, or
- declared provisionally-free area to a declared free area, for at least 1 disease
For example, to move live rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) located in Collingwood, Ontario for the end use of culture to an aquaculture operation in Brandon, Manitoba, a permit is required because the Atlantic Ocean watershed of Ontario is an infected area for viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) IVb and Manitoba is a free area for VHS IVb.
If there are questions after completing these steps to determine if a permit is required for the aquatic animal or thing to be moved, please contact our district office or our National Centre of Permissions.
Additional information, including the permit conditions, is also available in the industry guidance documents for laboratories, researchers, finfish culturists and mollusc culturists
Important definitions
- Biological Vector
- refers to the intermediate host that is required to complete the life cycle of Ceratomyxa shasta (ceratomyxosis) and Myxobolus cerebralis (whirling disease). The intermediate host for ceratomyxosis is the freshwater worm Manayunkia speciosa and the intermediate host for whirling disease is the freshwater worm Tubifex tubifex.
- Cryopreservation/Storage
- refers to the end use of a commercial process for putting the germplasm or fertilized eggs of aquatic animals into storage in liquid nitrogen. The cryopreserved animals are not owned by the commercial facility.
- Culture
- refers to the end use of keeping or holding of live aquatic animals for sale, or enhancement, restoration or stocking that may or may not employ some method of intervention in the process, such as feeding or collection of germplasm. This definition also includes the activities of salting up and relay. This definition excludes live aquatic animals kept in aquaria for the end use of education or display (private or public).
- Diagnostic Testing
- refers to the end use of aquatic animals (or parts derived from live or dead animals, such as blood), or other things for the purpose of testing for diseases of aquatic animals.
- Depuration
- means the process of using a controlled aquatic environment to reduce the level of bacteria and viruses in live molluscs.
- Dry Storage
- means the storage of live molluscs out of water.
- Enhancement
- means live aquatic animals that will be put directly into natural waterways for the purpose of augmenting commercial fisheries.
- Feed for Finfish
- refers to the end use of feeding live or dead finfish, including finfish germplasm or fertilized eggs, directly to live finfish.
- Other Testing
-
refers to the end use of aquatic animals or their carcasses, or parts derived from live or dead aquatic animals, for testing for other purposes than detection of diseases of aquatic animals, for example, for nutrients and toxins;
refers to the end use of freshwater sediments, or derivatives from freshwater sediments, for testing for other purposes than detection of diseases of aquatic animals, for example, for biological oxygen demand and toxins.
- Processing
- refers to the end use of processing of molluscs intended for human consumption. This definition includes the activities of depuration, dry storage, short-term container relaying, and wet storage.
- Relay
- means the transfer of molluscs from marginally contaminated areas to approved areas for natural biological cleansing, using the ambient environment as a treatment system for periods of 14 days or greater. Areas are approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
- Release into Natural Waterways
- means the end use of release of aquatic animals into the Canadian fisheries waters and the contiguous zone of Canada. This definition does not include aquatic animals that are kept or held in the natural waterways. Canadian fisheries waters means all waters in the fishing zones of Canada, all waters in the territorial sea of Canada and all internal waters of Canada (section 2 of the Fisheries Act).
- Repair
- includes maintenance.
- Reportable Disease
-
means an aquatic animal disease that is of significant importance to aquatic animal health and to the Canadian economy as outlined in the Health of Animals Act and the Reportable Diseases Regulations.
Anyone who owns or works with aquatic animals must report suspect cases of these diseases to a veterinarian at our district office.
- Research
- refers to the end use of aquatic animals, aquatic animal carcasses or things for scientific study or experimentation.
- Restoration
- means live aquatic animals that will be put directly into natural waterways for the purpose of bringing back a species into the ecosystem; the purpose may include restoration of recreational or commercial fishing opportunities.
- Salting Up
- means the transfer of molluscs from low salinity growing areas to high salinity growing areas to improve the growth and marketability of the mollusc for human consumption. Synonym: high salinity relay.
- Short-term Container Relaying
- means the transfer of live molluscs from marginally contaminated areas to approved areas for natural biological cleansing in a container using the ambient environment as a treatment system for periods of less than 14 days.
- Stocking
- means live aquatic animals that will be put directly into natural waterways for the purpose of augmenting recreational fishing.
- Wet Storage
- means the temporary storage (less than 60 days) of live molluscs from approved sources (harvest sites are approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)), intended for marketing, in containers or floats in natural bodies of seawater or in tanks containing natural or synthetic seawater.