Exaggerating sea lice impact hinders wild salmon conservation says head of BC Salmon Farmers Association.
Canadian trade group, the BC Salmon Farmers Association has welcomed new research that challenges the perceived impact of salmon farms on sea lice levels in wild salmon populations.
A recent literature review, published in the peer-reviewed journal Reviews in Aquaculture, concluded that the effects of sea lice from salmon farms on wild Atlantic salmon have been overestimated. The study, focused on Norwegian regulatory management, also found no measurable impact of farm-associated sea lice infections on wild salmon.
Impact of lice on wild salmon is overestimated says new scientific study
Simon Jones, Emeritus Scientist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and co-author of the study, highlighted the findings’ relevance to British Columbia.
“This is an important finding, as it aligns with the research and data we are seeing on sea lice in Canada. The highly variable relationship between lice levels on wild salmon and salmon aquaculture in BC indicates the need for a greater understanding of all factors affecting the survival of wild salmon.”
Further support for these findings comes from the 2024 data of the Broughton Archipelago wild juvenile salmonoid monitoring program, which shows that the removal of salmon farms in the area has not altered the variability in sea lice levels on wild Pacific salmon. The intensity of sea lice on wild salmon has remained consistently low over the past two decades.
The BC Salmon Farmers Association, led by Executive Director Brian Kingzett, expressed frustration with the continued portrayal of salmon farms as a primary threat to wild salmon populations.
Poor lice modelling risks fish welfare warns Mowi Scotland CEO as company unveils new approach
“The continued exaggeration of wild salmon populations declining due to sea lice from salmon farms does not help conservation efforts,” Kingzett said. “Ongoing research and data support that the salmon farming sector poses minimal risk to wild Pacific salmon, yet government decisions continue to ignore the science and threaten our sector’s future.”
Kingzett called for the federal government to base its decisions on reliable data and science, rather than what he described as “unrealistic and unachievable political decisions,” to address the real issues impacting wild Pacific salmon. The BC Salmon Farmers Association reaffirmed its commitment to supporting wild salmon restoration, climate action, and food security.
