A report issued today by Living Oceans and Raincoast Research reveals that sea lice were out of control on Clayquot Sound salmon farms in 2018 because they have evolved resistance to SLICE, the single drug approved for use in Canada. The report provides evidence that Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) knew as early as 2014 that resistance was developing in sea lice, but did  not take measures to ensure the protection of wild juvenile salmon from the parasite.

VANCOUVER — A review of salmon farm eco-certification practices around the world by SeaChoice reveals that your farmed salmon might be less sustainable than the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) eco-logo leads you to believe – only a small proportion of farms meet stipulated ASC criteria, yet they are still being certified. 

VANCOUVER – Ecojustice,  Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Living Oceans Society— conservation groups who fought the approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline project in a historic hearing last October — are calling today’s Federal Court of Appeal ruling “a critical win” for endangered killer whales, communities, the climate and the coast.

In a decision announced this morning, the court unanimously ruled that the federal government’s approval of the project violated its legal obligations to protect endangered orcas under the Species at Risk Act.

Wednesday’s policy announcement by the Province is a significant step forward in defending wild salmon against the array of threats posed by open net-pen salmon farms. The decision also represents a strong and positive step towards reconciliation with First Nations.

On Monday, June 18, while over 75 tourism operators were holding a media conference to outline their support for getting salmon netpens out of the water, the BC Government and Service Employees' Union, representing over 76,000 British Columbians in 550 bargaining units across the province, issued its own release announcing it has signed the Declaration in Defence of Wild Salmon (found at www.safesalmon.ca)

VICTORIA -  Seventy-five independent business operators and business associations are jointly calling on the B.C. government to protect the province’s wild salmon economy. Concerned by the severe decline of many B.C. salmon stocks, the operators point to growing evidence of the impacts of disease originating on salmon farms.

VANCOUVER — SeaChoice was gratified to see Aquaculture Stewardship Certifications suspended for five salmon farms in Clayoquot Sound, where sea lice levels soared to 34 per fish earlier in May. The group expressed concern, however, that ongoing uncertainty about effective sea lice management will continue to frustrate efforts to ensure that certified farms are operating in a manner that protects wild salmon. SeaChoice has asked ASC to rescind the variances it has granted to B.C. farms to allow them to avoid compliance with the ASC sea lice limit of 0.1 female lice per fish.