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Salmon Forum Questions Fish-Farm Study
By Keven Drews
Members of the Pacific Salmon Forum are questioning a recently published report in the journal Science that argues wild-salmon stocks in the Broughton Archipelago could soon collapse because of sea lice.
The Hon. John Fraser, chairman of the Pacific Salmon Forum, told the Westcoaster.ca Thursday that many of Canada’s leading fish biologists are conducting research for his organization, and their preliminary results do not support the findings Martin Krkosek, of the University of Alberta, and Alexandra Morton.
“How can we have such a disparity between this particular study and the recent results we’re getting back,” asked Fraser.
He said the forum will release its own interim research on the Broughton in early January and will likely meet with Krkosek that same month.
Sitting on the PSF’s Science Advisory Committee, he added, are academics like Dr. Al Lewis, Dr. Brian Riddell, Dr. Tony Farrell, Dr. Bill Pennell, Dr. Rich Taylor, Don Farnell and Dr. John Reynolds.
“They’re not second rate – not by a long shot.”
Appointed by the B.C. government in 2005, the Pacific Salmon Forum is supposed to fill knowledge gaps and make recommendations in 2008 that ensure sustainable wild and farm-salmon industries.
The PSF has already commissioned more than $2.5 million in research on the Broughton, said Fraser.
Earlier this week, the Pacific Salmon Forum stated in a press release that pink-salmon stocks in the Broughton appear to be doing well.
“The marine survival of pink salmon to the Glendale River, the region's major producing river for pinks has been equal or better than the survival rates for pinks in other coastal watersheds where there are no salmon farms.
“Pink salmon returns in the other Broughton watershed were as good as or better than those that occurred in 2005. All the field researchers noted that
over 80 percent of the wild salmon smolts migrating out of the Broughton in the spring of 2007 had no lice whatsoever.”
Last week, Science, an internationally respected, peer-reviewed journal, published Krkosek and Morton’s study.
Their research analyzed federal estimates of wild-salmon populations in the archipelago and just to the north of it. The archipelago is now home to more than 20 farms along an 80-kilometre stretch of salmon run. None exist to the north.
Their study found that from 1970 to 2001, both study areas were about equally productive. But after their first major sea lice infestation in 2001, wild stocks in the Broughton archipelago began collapsing and have now shrunk by 80 per cent.
Stocks to the north have held steady.
“Based on the rate of decline we have seen, those pink salmon populations are going to go from their historical level to extinction in four generations. Right now, we’re already halfway through that decline,” said Krkosek, in an interview with the Canadian Press last week.
“There’s four years left before these fish are gone if the sea lice infestations continue.”
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