August 16, 2024 — A study, published in Reviews in Aquaculture journal, has identified that the effects of sea lice from salmon farms on wild Atlantic salmon have been overestimated.
The study reviewed the Norwegian regulatory management of the salmon farming sector and concluded that sea lice infections on farms are not associated with a measurable impact on wild salmon. Sea lice are marine parasites naturally occurring in the ocean and have co-existed with wild salmon for millions of years. Farm-raised salmon enter the ocean free of sea lice, a press release from B.C. Salmon Farmers Association states.
“This is an important finding, as it aligns with the research and data we are seeing on sea lice in Canada,” said Simon Jones, research scientist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and co-author of the published review. “The highly variable relationship between lice levels on wild salmon and salmon aquaculture in B.C. indicates the need for a greater understanding of all factors affecting the survival of wild salmon.”