Sea Lice From Salmon Farms Infect Fraser River Sockeye

Sidney, British Columbia, Canada, February 8, 2011 (ENS) – The first link between salmon farms on the British Columbia coast and elevated levels of sea lice on juvenile Fraser River sockeye salmon has been demonstrated by new research published today.

While there has been speculation that lice from captive salmon has been transferred to wild salmon, the new study is the first to show a potential role of salmon farms in sea lice transmission to juvenile sockeye salmon during their critical early migration to the sea.

The research by scientists from Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, and the Universities of Victoria and Simon Fraser is published in the journal “Public Library of Science ONE.”

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