The Cohen Commission, which is probing collapse of sockeye runs in the Fraser River, has asked British Columbia Salmon Farmers' Association and the state to provide data relating to fish health records from last ten years of
120 farms.

The directive given by Commissioner Bruce Cohen on Wednesday will significantly enhance the scope of information asked for. It will also allow the general public to see details about each farm like sea lice infestation, disease outbreaks and water conditions.

The Commission had earlier asked only for five years worth of fish health data from 21 farms but it decided to expand the scope after instance of conservation groups that more could help the commission in making findings relating to salmon farms on Fraser River sockeye salmon.

The B. C. Salmon Farmers Association has until January 21 to submit the data to the commission. "I wish to make it clear that this ruling is not to be construed in any manner as a finding on whether aquaculture is a cause for the decline of Fraser River sockeye salmon," the ruling said.

The conservation groups have said they intend to see health information stretching back to 1988, which would include the entire period of the decline of the Fraser River sockeye stocks.

Salmon farms already report the data to the government that presents it in aggregated basis, however conservationists say farm by farm information will be important in determining whether specific farms have had problems fish-health problems.

The B. C. Salmon Farmers Association has responded by saying that it is working to provide the information. Association executive director Mary Ellen Walling noted that the deadline is tight and there is challenge as the association only started collecting health data for all farms in a central database starting in mid-2002 and data before that period was only recorded by farmers in different methods and data might not be available.