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SEA LICE FROM FISH FARMS THREATEN
CANADA'S WILD SALMON: On 27 June, the Vancouver Sun, in an
article by Dirk Meissner, reported fish farms on Vancouver Island are
being blamed for an outbreak of blood-sucking sea lice that could kill more
than 400 million of British Columbia's wild pink salmon this summer. The
lice are a tiny parasite that attach themselves to salmon, sucking their
blood
and causing lesions that leave the fish susceptible to deadly infections.
Nets full of sea lice-infested pink salmon smolts are being scooped from
waters near fish farms, according to Greg Rebar, a former aquaculture
worker, who said it takes about 10 sea lice to kill a salmon but he's
counted
65 on a five-centimeter-long smolt.
Tribal leaders from the Broughton Archipelago, where the outbreak has
occurred, are calling for all farmed fish to be removed to halt the
outbreak.
An aquaculture representative for the Canadian Department of Fisheries &
Oceans (DFO) said the federal fishery agency was sending a vessel to the
archipelago to investigate. The area has 26 fish farm sites and each farm
has between 600,000 and one million fish. Atlantic salmon is the primary
aquaculture species in British Columbia. It will likely take about one month
to determine the severity of the sea lice outbreak, according to the
article.
NAFTA AGENCY CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF
CANADIAN FAILURE TO PROTECT WILD PACIFIC SALMON:
A formal investigation into complaints that the Canadian Government
contributes to the Pacific salmon crisis by failing to protect fish habitat
has
been recommended by the Secretariat of the Commission for
Environmental Cooperation (CEC), an arm of NAFTA (the North
American Free Trade Agreement). According to a 12 June press report, the
recommendation is the first step in a process that carries considerable
weight because the Commission is a creation of three North American
governments and is seen as a model of scientific caution. In a complaint,
brought by three conservation organization, are allegations that 23
acid-generating mines are or may be in violation of Canada's Fisheries Act,
with no sanctions against them. It alleges a "systematic failure" to enforce
the act to stop the mining industry from hurting the environment.
Under NAFTA, citizens in any of the member countries - Canada, the
U.S., and Mexico - can complain to the CEC and request investigations
into environmental problems, especially those that may be trade-related.
The fact the CEC Secretariat has recommended an investigation indicates
there is evidence to support the complaint. The recommendation now goes
to the Commission's governing council, comprised of the environment
ministers of the three countries, and no one will guess how they might
respond. Canada's Fisheries Act makes it an offence to deposit a substance
harmful to fish in water frequented by fish. If the complaint is upheld, it
probably would further damage Canada's reputation as a champion of
sustainable development, and could hurt sales of Canadian products.
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