Salmon and Aquaculture

Impacts of aquaculture on wild salmon are the most contentious issue on the coast of western Canada. We have been tackling this in two ways.

First, I am working with graduate students who are studying fish farms as sources of sea lice on wild juvenile salmon. We have found that when wild fish swim past open net pen fish farms in several regions of BC, they have elevated parasite loads.

Second, I have served on the Science Advisory Committee of the BC Pacific Salmon Forum, which was appointed by the Premier of the province to investigate impacts of aquaculture and other human activities on sustainability of wild salmon.  The final report makes a strong case for more coherent watershed-level governance.