COURTENAY - Sea lice numbers on fish farms have been low in the Broughton Archipelago area, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries' monitoring program shows. The average for the month of April was four mobile lice per fish.

The industry is required to actively monitor and report on how many sea lice are on fish on all fish farms as part of the Province's 2004 strategy. The B.C. government audits this to ensure the numbers reported are accurate. Based on this information, the salmon farms manage sea lice so that they pose as little risk as possible to wild stocks and their own product.

All farms are required to monitor and report lice numbers monthly as part of their operating licence however during the migration of juvenile wild salmon in spring and early summer, this monitoring is increased to twice monthly. The results are posted on the ministry's website.

Sea lice are a natural parasite of wild and farmed salmon. Much is known about their lifecycle and the influence of environmental conditions on their growth and survival. Particular environmental conditions, low rainfall and high salinity, favour the growth and survival of natural lice populations. This year Environment Canada is reporting low rainfall and snowpack.  As expected, ocean monitoring of environmental conditions indicates warmer water temperatures and high salinity conditions.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which is responsible for wild salmon, has begun its spring monitoring of migrating wild salmon. There are two studies being conducted by Fisheries and Oceans. Initial observations from the Broughton Archipelago are indicating that small pink salmon in the nearshore are carrying early juvenile stages of sea lice called chalimus; however the species of sea lice has not yet been identified. 

It should be noted that there are two different species of sea lice and studies conducted by DFO last year reported a predominance of Caligus, a species of lice that is commonly on wild marines fishes and found sporadically and at low levels on farmed salmon.

Given the life stage of the sea lice, the as-yet unidentified species seen on wild salmon and the environmental conditions being encountered, it is highly likely there are several sources of lice infection for both wild and farm stocks. Farmed fish are being treated as required. The treatment is highly effective and will reduce the risk of impact to wild and farmed stocks.

Contact:

Graham Currie
Communications Director
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
250 356-2862

Dr. Joanne Constantine
Fish Health Veterinarian
250 897-7546