Federal documents reveal DFO staff identified that “significant negative attention” (see ATIP page 39 in backgrounder) may arise due to the fish kills, while a social media video documenting a fish kill is circulated by Clayoquot Action. 

The documents also reveal:

• A new method used to control parasites on salmon farms, known as hydrolicing, is responsible for mass herring kills in Clayoquot Sound in 2021-2022 (ATIP page 4);

• Salmon farming company, Cermaq, is responsible for large herring kills and did not immediately notify DFO of the kills due to a lag in federal reporting requirements (ATIP page 4); and

• Changes to Cermaq’s procedures to control parasites, “directly contributed to an increase in incidental catch and mortality.” It is unknown whether Cermaq was charged for non-compliance by DFO Conservation and Protection officers (ATIP page 4).

The federal government committed to transitioning salmon farms from B.C. waters by 2025; however, a transition plan that was to be released last June was delayed with no promised delivery date.

“It’s clear after many years of trying to minimize wild fish kills at salmon farms, the industry’s impacts are worsening.” said Stan Proboszcz of Watershed Watch Salmon Society. “Given all the threats facing B.C. wild herring and salmon stocks, removing salmon farms could provide much needed relief to our wild fish populations.”

“The entire herring fishery on the west coast of Vancouver Island has been closed for years, so clearly herring populations are in trouble” said Dan Lewis of Clayoquot Action. “This matters, because herring feed many species, and are the preferred prey for Chinook salmon, which are the preferred prey for endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales.”

Contacts:

Stan Proboszcz, Senior Scientist, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, (604) 314-2713, proboszcz@watershedwatch.ca

Dan Lewis, Executive Director, Clayoquot Action, (250) 726-8136, dan@clayoquotaction.org

Background Information

Graphic photos and video of herring kill, ATIP filed by Alexandra Morton and bar graph:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PwPXpMvYkwMuvbuxnmi4Mu_WDOY9ZqNu?usp=shari

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More information about incidental catch at salmon farms and data accessed for bar graph:

https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/reporting-rapports/incidental-catch-captures-fortuite

s/index-eng.html

Parasite control on salmon farms – Salmon farms attract parasitic sea lice and can greatly amplify their numbers and spread them to migrating wild salmon. Individual salmon farms are required to control the average number of lice per fish below 3 when wild juvenile salmon migrate by (between March 1 and June 30). A pesticide known as SLICE, was widely used by B.C. salmon farms to control lice levels on their fish until the parasites developed resistance to the chemical. Subsequently, the industry began employing other methods, such as hydrolicing, (link to boat) which employs a barge that uses pressurized ocean water to remove lice from farm fish. In the process, wild fish caught in the farms are apparently also put through the hydrolicer and injured or killed. It is unknown how often these new industry practices are audited by DFO, what other impacts they are having on the marine environment or how effective they are.

More information Cermaq’s hydrolicing vessel:

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:5868831/mmsi:316039252/imo:0/vesse

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