For immediate release – Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Imperiled juvenile pink salmon are now migrating past sea lice-infested salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago, salmon farms need to be shut down to save wild salmon from extinction

Vancouver, BC – At a lunch hour rally outside the BC governments Vancouver Cabinet Office in the World Trade Centre at Canada Place, “Cupid Salmon” dressed in a cupid costume with a salmon head mask, was joined by Wilderness Committee supporters to deliver the BC government special Valentines messages urging them to “show some love” and protect BCs wild salmon from salmon farm sea lice.

“Yet another peer-reviewed scientific study published this week shows salmon farms and their sea lice are devastating wild salmon populations, only this time the trend is being observed in several salmon populations worldwide,” said Geoff Senichenko. “This indicates that the BC government has turned their back on wild salmon.”

On Monday, a study was published in the Public Library of Science journal demonstrating in a number of regions worldwide, including the BC coast, 50% or more reductions in wild salmon populations close to salmon farms when compared to wild salmon populations away from salmon farms in the same regions.

This adds to another recent study from this past December published in the respected journal Science that demonstrated high mortality of wild juvenile pink salmon, which are being devastated by sea lice infestations emanating from salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago. The researchers also predicted that if current infestation rates continue, these runs could be extinct in as little as four years.

Just last week a communique by John Fraser, chair of the BC governments own funded research group, Pacific Salmon Forum, has now acknowledged the findings in the December Science article that wild pink salmon populations in the Broughton Archipelago may be at risk because sea lice from salmon farms are killing their young.

“Right now wild pink juvenile salmon have begun their annual migration out to sea past the sea lice infested salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago,” said Senichenko. “Cupid Salmon and the Wilderness Committee are calling on the BC government to show some love and leadership, and immediately shut down salmon farms in BC to protect our precious wild salmon.”

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For more information or photos, visit wildernesscommittee.org or contact:
Geoff Senichenko, Wilderness Committee Research Director, 604-683-8220
or Andy Miller, Wilderness Committee Staff Scientist, 604-992-3099 (cell)

You can read Mondays study in journal Public Library of Science here

You can read Decembers report in journal Science here