Little Hawk
Active Member
Had the pleasure of meeting Craig at a salmon-farming conference coupla' years back. He's totally committed to conservation issues and one highly-educated and intelligent dude. After meeting him I gained a sense that his attitude towards the net-pen business is right up there on-par with Alex's. Same as Alex, Volpe and other's, when Dr. Orr rings the bell on Pacific salmon health/survival issues, I am compelled to listen.
WATERSHED WATCH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2010
New research suggests salmon farms and sea lice are the main cause of a
7-fold decrease in coho productivity in the Broughton Archipelago
VANCOUVER, BC - Two new sea lice papers published online in the Journal of Applied
Ecology suggest that sea lice from salmon farms may be dramatically affecting the health of
coho salmon populations in the Broughton Archipelago.
The first paper, co-sponsored by Watershed Watch Salmon Society, indicates that sea lice
transmitted from pink salmon prey to coho predators increased infection on coho by 2 to 3 fold
in salmon farming areas. The second paper, which looked at coho salmon returns from 1975-
2007, found that infected coho in the Broughton Archipelago suffered a 7-fold decrease in
productivity during a period of recurrent sea louse infestations associated with salmon farms,
relative to unexposed coho populations.
SFU Ph.D. candidate Brendan Connors and several co-authors, including scientists from the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, took this first ever look at impacts on coho, and these
findings add significantly to the weight of evidence that open net pen salmon farms can cause
major declines in wild fish populations.
"Wild coho populations throughout B.C. have been in serious decline in recent years,
moreover, they are a staple of B.C.'s sport fishery," says Craig Orr of Watershed Watch
Salmon Society. "This should be a much-needed wakeup call to all who value wild salmon."
The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association and the Conservation Coalition - both participating in
the Cohen Inquiry into the decline of Fraser sockeye salmon - presented opposing arguments
to the Commissioner at a recent hearing regarding the release of disease, sea lice and stocking
information from salmon farms along the known migration routes of Fraser River sockeye. The
Conservation Coalition argued that the release of these data are critical to understanding the
full impact of open net pen salmon farming on wild salmon that pass by the affected farms and
a decision is pending. Connors' latest work argues strongly for full disclosure from industry
and government with regards to fish health data on salmon farms.
To access the papers visit:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01889.x/full
-30-
For more information please contact:
Craig Orr, Executive Director, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, a group member of the
Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform, 604-809-2799 corr@telus.net
"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"
WATERSHED WATCH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2010
New research suggests salmon farms and sea lice are the main cause of a
7-fold decrease in coho productivity in the Broughton Archipelago
VANCOUVER, BC - Two new sea lice papers published online in the Journal of Applied
Ecology suggest that sea lice from salmon farms may be dramatically affecting the health of
coho salmon populations in the Broughton Archipelago.
The first paper, co-sponsored by Watershed Watch Salmon Society, indicates that sea lice
transmitted from pink salmon prey to coho predators increased infection on coho by 2 to 3 fold
in salmon farming areas. The second paper, which looked at coho salmon returns from 1975-
2007, found that infected coho in the Broughton Archipelago suffered a 7-fold decrease in
productivity during a period of recurrent sea louse infestations associated with salmon farms,
relative to unexposed coho populations.
SFU Ph.D. candidate Brendan Connors and several co-authors, including scientists from the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, took this first ever look at impacts on coho, and these
findings add significantly to the weight of evidence that open net pen salmon farms can cause
major declines in wild fish populations.
"Wild coho populations throughout B.C. have been in serious decline in recent years,
moreover, they are a staple of B.C.'s sport fishery," says Craig Orr of Watershed Watch
Salmon Society. "This should be a much-needed wakeup call to all who value wild salmon."
The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association and the Conservation Coalition - both participating in
the Cohen Inquiry into the decline of Fraser sockeye salmon - presented opposing arguments
to the Commissioner at a recent hearing regarding the release of disease, sea lice and stocking
information from salmon farms along the known migration routes of Fraser River sockeye. The
Conservation Coalition argued that the release of these data are critical to understanding the
full impact of open net pen salmon farming on wild salmon that pass by the affected farms and
a decision is pending. Connors' latest work argues strongly for full disclosure from industry
and government with regards to fish health data on salmon farms.
To access the papers visit:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01889.x/full
-30-
For more information please contact:
Craig Orr, Executive Director, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, a group member of the
Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform, 604-809-2799 corr@telus.net
"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"
