2024 data reaffirms minimal impact of salmon farms on sea lice levels.
New data from British Columbia’s Broughton Archipelago wild juvenile salmon monitoring program has shown no measurable impact of salmon farms on sea lice levels on wild salmon populations, challenging a long-standing claim that the removal of salmon farms significantly reduces sea lice prevalence and benefits wild salmon numbers.
The program’s 2024 findings indicate that sea lice levels on wild Pacific salmon have remained consistent, even after the removal of salmon farms in the area. Complementary research from the Salmon Coast Research Station released this week reported minimal variation in sea lice levels, with infections increasing only slightly from 0.0584 lice per fish in 2023 to 0.0658 in 2024.
These results align with a broader review published earlier this year in Reviews in Aquaculture, which assessed Norway’s regulatory management of the salmon farming sector. The study concluded that sea lice infections on salmon farms are not linked to measurable impacts on wild Atlantic salmon.
Simon Jones, Emeritus Scientist of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and co-author of the review, stated: “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.”
The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) emphasized the importance of these findings as part of its efforts to ensure sustainable operations. “Our sector remains committed to utilizing the most current science and traditional ecological knowledge to guide operations,” the association stated.
The data comes as BC’s salmon farming sector continues discussions with the federal government on the industry’s transition framework, a process that has drawn scrutiny from activists and policy advocates. The BCSFA reiterated its commitment to science-driven policymaking to address concerns surrounding the impact of aquaculture on wild salmon populations.
