Are sea lice from salmon farms killing wild pinksalmon in the Broughton Archipelago?
Fish farms have been present on our coast for over 20 years. Reduction in pink salmon returning to some rivers in the Broughton area is a relatively new phenomenon, and has come on the the heels of record high pink returns recorded in 2000 and 2001. In July 2001, in response to concerns about sea lice on salmon farms, federal and provincial government staff sampled sea lice levels on wild salmon both in areas close to farms and in areas with no farms nearby. There was no difference in sea lice levels recorded between the two. Findings indicated the lice numbers on juvenile wild fish were average, with only a few fish having high numbers. There is no evidence that lice from farmed fish have detrimentally affected wild fish in B.C.. Wild salmon populations have a complex lifecycle and are subject to stresses throughout their freshwater and ocean-going life phases. Fisheries biologists generally agree that current downturns in some pink salmon runs are likely attributable to an interplay
