The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform
Farmed and Dangerous Blog
Sea lice on wild salmon
Many of the juvenile salmon now migrating through the Discovery Islands are the offspring of the Fraser River sockeye that collapsed in 2009. This subgroup of fish with a troubled past are faced with myriad hazards as they struggle for survival, but adding to their peril (and of course the peril of all wild juvenile salmon) are the rising lice levels on salmon farms. (more…)
Open net-cage salmon farm, Photo: Lara Renehan
Ever wonder how many thousands upon thousands of farmed salmon are stocked in net-cages along the BC coast? How many millions of Atlantic salmon are held in pens on the migratory path of wild Pacific salmon? Ever wonder why our governments seem determined to keep this information hidden? (more…)
Dead juvenile pink salmon with lice
A new paper published this week suggesting that sea lice do not harm wild Pacific salmon does not provide conclusive evidence and fails to convince when weighed against the full scope of previous science on the subject. (more…)
Real life court proceedings aren’t nearly as interesting as watching episodes of Law and Order or Judge Judy. Reading the transcripts is more akin to watching paint dry. But every so often a gem is unearthed. This little gem of an exchange is from the Cohen Commission transcript from Nov. 2nd. (more…)
New research published last week confirming salmon farms as a major source of sea lice on juvenile salmon migrating through the Discovery Islands has come at the same time CAAR campaigners have discovered salmon farming companies in this region are reporting elevated lice levels on their farms. (more…)
Coho salmon with louse infection by Stan Proboszcz
Two new sea lice papers published online in the Journal of Applied Ecology suggest that sea lice from salmon farms may be dramatically affecting the health of coho salmon populations in the Broughton Archipelago. (more…)
Record returns of some Fraser River sockeye stocks have been making headlines over the past few weeks. With an estimated 34 million expected to return, this is in stark contrast to last year’s dismal return of only 1.5 million. While we celebrate, it’s important to remember that one good return year against a background of steady decline in Fraser sockeye over more than a decade does not signal recovery. (more…)
