Salmon Farming: Campaign News

Emergency Closure of Five Open Net-Cage Salmon Farms Required to Protect Migrating Salmon

Juvenile Sockeye salmon with sea lice. Female louse with egg strings. Photo by Jody Eriksson

Five open net-cage salmon farms must be permanently removed from a salmon migration route in the northern Georgia Strait in order to protect thousands of juvenile salmon from sea lice and other potentially fatal diseases.

Georgia Strait Alliance, with our partners at the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform, are demanding that all fish farms be removed from Okisollo and Hoskyn Channels along the east and north of Quadra Island, the Wild Salmon Narrows. This is a necessary emergency measure to protect wild salmon, including Fraser River Sockeye, from sea lice infection from fish farms.

Salmon Farm Companies Seek Massive Expansion of Current Open Net-Cage Production Sites

The fish farming industry is awaiting approval of eight applications to expand in the Discovery Island area of the northern Georgia Strait, as well as two new farm applications for that area and one at Texada Island. Given that the marine environment and especially wild salmon are suffering negative impacts at current levels of production, expanding the industry would be ecologically disastrous. Read more...

Fraser River Sockeye Found with Sea Lice

 A 2008 study found elevated levels of sea lice on juvenile sockeye salmon near fish farms in the Discovery Islands. Recent genetic analyses of juvenile sockeye caught in this high-density farm region show a predominance of Fraser River stocks, representing 30 different subpopulations. Of the juvenile sockeye sent for DNA testing, 60% from 2007 and 99% from 2008 were Fraser River sockeye. Read more...

Other Recent Campaign News: 

• Draft Global Salmon Farming Standards Out for Comment - August 3, 2010
• Proposed Organic Aquaculture Standards, public comment period ends August 30, 2010 - July 22, 2010
• Draft Pacific Aquaculture Regulations, public comment period ends September 8, 2010 - July 20, 2010
• Waiatt Bay traditional clam gardens dying - June22, 1010
• Join the Get Out Migration from Earth Day (April 22nd) to Mother's Day (May 9th). We hope to see you there! - April 20, 2010
• Strathcona Regional District votes down Gunner Pt zoning bylaw - March 23, 2010
• Video update of Wild Salmon Narrows fish farms - March 9, 2010
• Letter from 11 environmenttal groups including GSA calling for urgent emergency measures before Fraser River Sockeye outmigration - March 1, 2010
• DFO threatened with lawsuit by one of our partners at the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform over proposed expansion of a fish farm - February 22, 2010
• Activists, salmon farmers work together: Groups co-operate on pilot project using closed-containment system - February 4, 2010
• Follow up letter to King of Norway re: Protecting Wild Salmon from Norwegian-owned Open Net-cage Salmon Farms - January 29, 2010
• Managing Fraser Sockeye in the face of declining productivity and increasing uncertainty Scientist Think Tank recommendations include experimental removal of farmed salmon from sockeye migration routes - December 9, 2009
• Save Our Kids Salmon make appearances throughout BC - December 4, 2009
• Seeking organizations to sign on to Wild Salmon Narrows Declaration - November 24, 2009 
• Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform recommends funding for Closed System Aquaculture Innovation Pilot Program in 2010 BC Budget Submission - October 23, 2009
• Wild Salmon Narrows: The People Meet Jody Eriksson, part of the Discovery Island team sampling for sea lice on juvenile salmon in the northern Strait of Georgia region - October 15, 2009
• Salmon Farming Blog launched - October 15, 2009 
• Georgia Strait Alliance signs on to Letter to King Harald V of Norway, Protecting Wild Salmon from Open Net-cage Salmon Farms - August 14, 2009
• Letter to Mainstream Canada asking them to not restock Brent Island fish farm along Wild Salmon Narrows migration Route - July 23, 2009
• Update on Grieg Seafood's Rezoning Application for two new Fish Farms near Sayward - June 25, 2009  
• First Nation comment on fish farming in Georgia Strait and proposed new farms at Gunner Pt and Yorke Island - June 22, 2009
• Compass Group Canada Commits to Wild Salmon - March 16, 2009
• Groups Condemn Province's Failure to Act on Aquaculture Solutions - No funding for closed containment research in 2009 Provincial Budget - February 17, 2009
• BC Supreme Court Delivers Ruling in Fish Farming Case - February 9, 2009
• Environmental Groups Commend Salmon Forum's Acknowledgement of Fish Farm Problems, Demand Government Action on Key Recommendations  - February 5, 2009
• First Nations sue over Salmon: Class action sites damage caused by aquaculture to wild fish stocks - February 2, 2009  
• Ocean Fish Farming Harms Wild Fish, Study Says - by Dr. Neil Frazer - December 11, 2008
• A Canadian Tragedy, by Dr. Neil Frazer - November 12, 2008  

See also:

Fish Farm Campaign News archives