© Fernando Lessa
Recently published in Aquaculture Research, a study tested whether Tenacibaculosis, or mouthrot, in farm-raised Atlantic salmon could be transmitted to Chinook salmon through cohabitation. Researchers found no illness or mortality in Chinook salmon, even when exposed to high pathogen concentrations. The authors describe it as the first interspecific transmission study of its kind in Canada, aimed at addressing concerns about disease transfer between farmed and wild salmon.
A second paper, recently published in Scientific Data by Nature presents the most extensive sea lice dataset compiled for British Columbia’s coast, spanning more than 20 years of monitoring at nearly 100 farm sites and over 365,000 wild fish. The study reports variability in sea lice prevalence across regions and years, and cautions against broad conclusions based on limited or localised data.
“These studies add to a growing and increasingly rigorous body of scientific evidence concluding that salmon farms in BC do not harm wild salmon populations. Four major peer-reviewed studies have emerged this year alone, reaffirming this conclusion,” said Brian Kingzett, executive director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association, in a press release.
Past research finds no added risks from farms
In April, a paper published in the Journal of Fish Diseases dismissed the widely repeated claim that removing salmon farms results in lower sea lice numbers on wild Pacific salmon. Then, in July, another paper in Aquaculture, Fish, and Fisheries reviewed 20 years of scientific publications to conclude that salmon farms in British Columbia pose minimal impact on wild salmon populations, with no solid evidence of long-term impacts.
An additional publication is also forthcoming. The abstract, published in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, previews the upcoming paper “Trends in sea lice infestations on chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and pink salmon (O.gorbuscha) in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia remain unchanged despite removal of finfish aquaculture.”
As part of the sector’s ongoing commitment to transparency, in April 2024, the BC Salmon Farmers, in partnership with the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship and the BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences, released a comprehensive 500-page science review. The report includes contributions and data from First Nations, Pacific Ocean scientists, the sector, subject matter experts, government and NGOs.
“With the 2029 marine net-pen ban on BC salmon farms approaching, we respectfully urge the federal government to reconsider this decision. This policy, initiated under the previous Trudeau administration, is not supported by science and will significantly impact coastal communities and Canadian food security,” added Kingzett.
According to the BC Salmon Farmers Association, the current ban on marine net-pens by 2029 risks $9 billion in taxpayer costs and significant economic losses to Canada. Under a renewed, responsible, Indigenous-led plan, the sector could generate $2.5 billion in annual economic output and 9,000 jobs by 2030, and $4.2 billion in annual economic output with over 16,000 jobs by 2040.
