$13M for Cooke Aquaculture after infected salmon

Cooke Aquaculture has received $13 million in federal compensation after it wasforced to slaughter a millionsalmon at a Nova Scotia fish-farming operationbecause of a virus outbreak, according to Freedomof Information documents.

The New Brunswick-based companygot the money back in 2012 after an infectious salmon anemia(ISA)outbreak at the company's farms in Shelburne County.

Cooke received the money in June and December of 2012 but the amount was only made public recently within a Freedomof Information request to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The company wouldn'tconfirm the amount when contacted by CBC News,except to say it's no different than any other compensation farmers receive for damaged crops.

A spokesperson pointed to a$2.3-million aid package the provincial and federalgovernments have offered to strawberry farmers after a virus destroyed their crops.