Preliminary research indicates that in the Broughton Archipelago, an area thick with industrial salmon farms off Northeast Vancouver Island, 96 per cent of juvenile salmon are infected with lethal levels of sea lice. In other words, proximity to salmon farms is almost certainly a factor for the baby pink salmon being covered with sea lice. At the juvenile stage, pink salmon are approximately three cm long and having more than one louse can kill them. Many scientists are concerned that sea lice from fish farms are infecting and killing these young salmon as they migrate past fish farms. Some of them warn that we are potentially witnessing the extinction of this species.

What is the government doing?
When The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) conducted research last year, wild fish samples were not taken near salmon farms perhaps because the salmon farming industry asked the government not to. In addition all of the samples were taken when about half of the farms were empty of fish (because of a government-ordered fallowing period)

What needs to be done?
In order to stop sea lice outbreaks and prevent the extinction of pink salmon stocks, the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR) is calling on the federal government to immediately empty all farms in the Broughton Archipelago.

What can YOU do?

1. Take a few minutes to call The Honourable Geoff Regan (613) 992-3474 and John Pringle (250) 363-6335 and ask for an immediate emptying of the industrial salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago.
2. Then to follow up, please write a letter or copy and paste the questions below into a letter, fax or email. Send it to The Honourable Geoff Regan and John Pringle and let them know that you expect a meaningful response.

Make sure you ask for the immediate emptying of the industrial salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago.

The Honourable Geoff Regan
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Room 121 East Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Email: Min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
phone: (613) 992-3474
fax: (613) 943-1943

John Pringle
Manager - Marine Environment and Habitat - Science Division
Institute of Ocean Sciences
P.O. Box 6000
Sidney, B.C. V8L 4B2
Canada
Email: PringleJ@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
phone: (250) 363-6335
fax: (250) 363-6310

Please send us a quick email at info@farmedanddangerous.org to let us know that you have sent a letter or made a call

Here are some things to get you started

1. Why is the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) playing Russian Roulette with the fate of the pink salmon by relying on data that is not only a year old, but did not involve sampling wild salmon directly around salmon farms?
2. The DFO should be taking the precautionary principle and fallow the farms in the Broughton Archipelago while conducting an investigation into how industrial salmon feedlots are contributing to the unprecedented sea lice outbreaks in this area.
3. What is the Department of Fisheries and Oceans planning to do about the fact that virtually all of the juvenile pink salmon heading to sea right now that pass salmon farms are infected with lethal levels of lice.
4. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans claims to care about the future of wild salmon on our coast, but has allowed more farms than ever to operate in this area and seems to be actively ignoring preliminary research showing a link between fish farms and wild salmon declines.
5. Why is the DFO allowing the salmon farming industry to operate as usual given the serious threats being raised over our wild salmon stocks?
6. Around the world wherever salmon farming occurs, there have been unprecedented epidemics of sea lice that have seriously damaged native fish species. This government should be applying the precautionary principle and protecting our wild salmon.

For more information contact: info@farmedanddangerous.org