New study shows increased pathogens near B.C. open-net salmon farms

Maryse Zeidler · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 17, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

A caller survey led by the Pacific Salmon Foundation and 4 bluish Vancouver Island First Nations suggests that h2o collected adjacent active open-net salmon farms contains 4 times much pathogens harmful to chaotic salmon than samples collected adjacent inactive salmon farms.

The study, published successful the peer-reviewed diary Scientific Reports, examined biology DNA to find the levels of bacteria, fungi and viruses antecedently shown to beryllium harmful to chaotic salmon. 

The Pacific Salmon Foundation says researchers collected samples from areas astir the Broughton Archipelago adjacent northbound Vancouver Island, including progressive and inactive open-net salmon farms. 

"That gives america the confirmation that salmon farms tin really incorporate and amplify pathogens that tin ... truthful impact chaotic salmon that unrecorded successful the area," said Emiliano Di Cicco, a researcher with the foundation. 

"We are a beardown proponent of moving the farms retired of the h2o successful either a closed containment oregon immoderate benignant of containment that would support chaotic food from the disposal of what comes retired of the farms."

Di Cicco says that, of each the factors affecting salmon populations, including clime change, open-net salmon farms are 1 hazard that tin beryllium much easy removed. 

$1.17B successful yearly economical activity

Open-net Atlantic salmon farms are a arguable taxable successful galore coastal B.C. communities.

Some coastal First Nations and biology groups person opposed open-net salmon farming, saying they are linked to the transportation of illness to chaotic salmon. 

The national authorities has decided to adjacent the province's open-net salmon farms by 2029. 

But the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association says the state could suffer up to $1.17 billion successful economical enactment and 4,560 full-time jobs if open-net salmon farming is nary longer allowed.

The association has powerfully discredited this latest research, saying the results overestimate the hazard of the pathogens' harm to chaotic salmon. 

Study is flawed, salmon farmers say

Gary Marty, a elder food pathology advisor for the association, says each carnal populations person disease.

"Anywhere we person tons of animals, we volition person much illness than anyplace we don't person tons of animals," Mary told CBC News. 

"We besides person chaotic salmon that are migrating sometimes successful the millions, and it's apt there's tons of illness adjacent those chaotic salmon."

Marty says determination is small quality successful colonisation trends of chaotic salmon adjacent salmon farms compared to populations not exposed to them. 

In a written statement, the relation says the survey shows "inconsistencies and information integrity issues."

'We called it'

Hereditary main Ernest Alfred with the Namgis First Nation, 1 of the 4 nations that comprise the Broughton Aquaculture Transition Initiative, disagrees.

Alfred says salmon populations person rebounded since astir of the open-net salmon farms astir the Broughton archipelago were closed 2 years ago. 

"All implicit the place, we're seeing melodramatic numbers returning, and this is going to person an interaction connected the full coast," helium told CBC News. "We called it. We said you cognize that if you region the farms that this would happen."

Alfred says the Namgis were compelled to instrumentality portion successful the probe aft seeing the diminution successful the fig of salmon disconnected the B.C. seashore and after repeatedly proceeding from the manufacture and authorities that determination wasn't capable information to enactment the closure.

"For our people, the information of our chaotic salmon is paramount," helium said. "It was casual for america to get connected committee with the thought of collecting that information and going to enactment and putting our boots connected the ground, if you will."