Fish Farm Lice Kill 34% of Wild Salmonids

This is yet another study that shows that lice from fish farms kill wild salmonids. In this case the researchers reanalyzed a study and found a wild salmonid kill of 34%.

This has previously shown in other research. Check the Index to this site in October of 2014 to find the links to those studies.

From the study in Scotland in the immediately preceding post on this site, the paper, is item 4.

Here is a quote: "Research published in 2013 by a group of fisheries experts from Norway, Canada and Scotland re-analysing data from various Irish studies, showed that the impact of sea lice on wild salmon causes a very high loss (34%) of those returning to Irish rivers (4) ."

The reference says this: (4) M Krkosek, C W Revie, B Finstad and C D Todd (2013) Comment on Jackson et al. "Impact of Lepeophtheirus salmonis infestations on migrating Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts at eight locations in Ireland with an analysis of lice-induced marine mortality" - Journal of Fish Diseases.

The Scotland study in the last post goes on to say that fish farms claims of no harm are not true:

"There is also clear evidence that both wild salmon and sea trout are in decline in Scotland’s ‘aquaculture zone’, whereas, generally, populations have stabilized on the east and north coast where there is no fish-farming.

After examining east and west coast catch trends, fisheries scientists from the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) concluded that: “there is a clear trend of declining salmon catches, compared with catches on the East coast, in areas where the Scottish aquaculture industry operates.

The assertion by SSPO [the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation] that ‘the catch statistics show salmon farming has had no effect on wild salmon catches’ does not stand up to scrutiny. It is also apparent that the decline is greater for those areas whose juvenile fish have to swim past larger number of salmon farms in order to reach the open ocean”(5)

The fisheries scientists from Norway, Scotland and Ireland reviewed over 300 scientific publications on the damaging effects of sea lice on sea trout stocks in salmon farming areas to reach their conclusions.

So, Marine Harvest's plan to get ASC accreditation doesn't look good for their so-called 'profound' effect on their image. Fix the image, but not the problem. Sorry Jo Lunder et al, the scientists do not agree. Nor does anyone else.