Scientists claim sea lice in farms kill one third of wild salmon

The scientific study published in Agricultural Sciences by a scientist of Ireland's Marine Institute, which, it has been claimed, justified the salmon fishing industry's stance that a mere 1%-2% of wild salmon deaths are due to sea lice, has been challenged in a key publication.

A recent critique by scientists from Scotland, Canada and Norway and led by Martin Krkosek of the University of Toronto's department of ecology and evolutionary biology, published in the Journal of Fish Diseases, argues that the Marine Institute's work has "fundamental errors".

LINK (via: Herald Scotland)

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife  is now taking comments on a salmon net pen proposal to establish a lower Columbia gill netting area.

A plea to the Interior Department

A letter from Congressmen Jared Huffman, Mike Thompson and George Miller to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell urging action to prevent a fish kill this fall in the Trinity and Klamath Rivers.

LINK (via: The Times-Standard)

Asking Norway about the Piscine Reovirus

Industry and government deny the piscine reovirus (PRV) is anything to be concerned about, even though this newly introduced, highly infectious virus from Norway has infected the majority of the salmon farms in BC and is rapidly spreading to BC’s wild salmon.

Vancouver Island salmon farm accused of putting diseased fish in ocean pens

Mmmm, tasty farmed fish.

Environmentalists are accusing a Vancouver Island salmon farm of putting diseased fish into ocean pens, in contravention of federal laws.

Ecojustice, acting on behalf of Vancouver Island biologist Alexandra Morton, launched a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Canada Wednesday challenging aquaculture licences given to companies believed to have put diseased fish in the water.

LINK (via:Times Colonist)

Cormorants to be killed to see if they eat protected salmon

Photo: Mike Baird

The definition of insanity.

Cormorants, which are protected by the Migratory Species Act, are being killed to see if they are eating protected salmon.

LINK (via: Oregon Live)

Court of Appeals Issues Landmark Ruling Concerning Effects of Three Pesticides on Salmon Species

On February 21, 2013, a three judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous landmark decision in Dow Agrosciences v. National Marine Fisheries Service setting aside a Biological Opinion (BiOp) prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that found that use of the pesticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion could jeopardize the viability of certain species of salmon and their habitat.

This new decision will have far-reaching consequences because of the large number of pesticides that may be subject to referral to either the NMFS or the Fish and Wildlife Service (the Services) in connection with previous actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during pesticide reregistration or future actions by EPA during registration review.

LINK (via: Environmental Expert)