An oceanic watchdog group has reported a massive outbreak of salmon lice in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve recently.
Clayoquot Action Campaigns stated that Cermaq CanadaB次元官网网址檚 documentation on salmon lice for April showed the numbers of salmon lice on seven of their 14 Clayoquot farm sites are up to 10 times higher than the threshold which requires treatment. The regulatory threshold is three motile salmon lice per farm fish.
Director Bonny Glambeck said the sea lice number has become worse in recent years but the latest episode B次元官网网址渋s absolutely through the roof; off the charts.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭his outbreak is an environmental disaster B次元官网网址� we are seeing wild juvenile salmon carrying lethal loads of salmon lice,B次元官网网址� said Glambeck, whose group keeps tabs on environmental issues such as salmon farming. B次元官网网址淭hese fish have been given a death sentence. Studies show there is no way these fish will survive to spawn and reproduce.B次元官网网址�
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is aware of the excess sea lice at CermaqB次元官网网址檚 facilities, as it regularly conducts assessments. Communications adviser Michelle Rainer said theyB次元官网网址檝e had an ongoing discussion with Cermaq since January 2018 about measures to reduce sea lice.
Under the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations, DFO requires salmon farming companies to regularly monitor and manage sea lice levels at their facilities in British Columbia. Companies must submit a lice reduction plan if monitoring shows levels higher than the regulatory threshold during the wild salmon outmigration period from March 1 to June 30 of each year.
Salmon farming companies, Rainer said, use an in-feed therapeutant called SLICE (emamectin benzoate) to reduce lice abundance. In cases where the use of SLICE does not result in adequate reduction of sea lice, companies can apply to the province for a permit to use alternative treatments, including Paramove, a hydrogen peroxide bath.
Glambeck said none of the treatments are working at all.
B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 expect the new pesticides that they want to use will work,B次元官网网址� said Glambeck. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not working in Norway right now. Basically the industry is unable to control sea lice. So thatB次元官网网址檚 why we want to see these farms come out of the oceans.B次元官网网址�
Glambeck added that without salmon farms, wild salmon would not encounter salmon lice until they are adults, big enough to handle them. Juvenile salmon can only carry a load of one louse per gram of body weight B次元官网网址� even two lice per smolt is a lethal load, said Glambeck.
The DFO is investigating the management of lice at farms in Clayoquot by Cermaq Canada to determine if there has been non-compliance with the licence conditions. Rainer said they cannot comment further at this time.
Cermaq CanadaB次元官网网址檚 managing director, David Kiemele, said the company takes this matter very seriously and is actively addressing it.
B次元官网网址淲e have removed significant numbers of fish from several farms and continue to remove additional fish and treat remaining farms as quickly as possible,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淟onger-term, Cermaq has committed to a $12 million state-of-the-art lice management barge that will be in place early next year, which will allow us to prevent this repeating itself in the future.B次元官网网址�
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