Sea Lice AND Salmon - Farmed And Dangerous

British Columbia boasts one of thegreatest diversities of wild salmonon the planet. Some 8,000 racesor “runs” of wild Pacific salmon stillsurvive in BC’s rivers, a diminished butstill incredible tapestry of richness toooften taken for granted.It’s hardly secret that BC’s rich-but-fragilelegacy—its natural, cultural and economicbounty—is under increasing assault from ahost of human-related activities. It’s also nosecret that if we are truly interested in preservingwild salmon for the future, allthreats to local populations of salmonmust be carefully examined, includingthose posed by open net-cage aquaculture.Watershed Watch, a science-based salmonconservation organization, spends much ofits time “elevating the dialogue.” Lately,Watershed Watch’s efforts have focused onthe connection between salmon farms andlice infestations of wild juvenile salmon.The “sea lice story” hasresonated now formonths—in meetings, onriverbanks, in the media,in scientific papers andworkshops, and with anincreasingly-concernedpublic.ForewordWatershed Watch believes that the sustainablefuture of salmon hinges on the publicbeing properly informed. Accordingly,Watershed Watch has produced ‘fact sheets’that deal directly with questions concerningsea lice and salmon: What is a sealouse? How do lice harm fish? How manyeggs do lice lay? How long do lice live?What’s being done to deal with the licethreat?Watershed Watch also recognizes that thereis a bigger story—one involving otheraquaculture and wild salmon issues andplayers—that needs to be told in order toprovide the necessary context for the informationon sea lice. Though the essays arescience-based, they are written in lay language.Watershed Watch hopes they elevatethe dialogue and improve our collectiveunderstanding of what is required toensure that this modern story has a happyending—for both wild salmon, and people.Watershed Watchbelieves thatthe sustainablefuture of salmonhinges on thepublic beingproperly informed.Steelhead being releasedon the Dean River.Craig Orr photoSea Lice and Salmon: Elevating the Dialogue1