For two years, we have been trying to get our hands on salmon farm sea lice data that was used in a controversial Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) science report. Despite the many roadblocks put in our way, we never gave up, and our determination to uncover the truth has finally paid off.

The data in question were used by DFO to support a controversial January 2023 sea lice report, which concluded that there was no significant link between parasitic lice infestations at B.C. salmon farms and infestations in wild salmon. But this claim goes against a substantial body of independent research that has repeatedly shown the opposite is true. It’s well documented that salmon farms amplify sea lice numbers and spread them to young wild salmon as they migrate past.

It’s vital that DFO uses accurate and unbiased information to support their findings on salmon farm parasites, because our federal government uses these reports to back their decisions. Given that lice infestations are one of the biggest problems with open-net fish farms, this dodgy report could act as a lifeline to the industry if a new federal government is looking to lift the current government’s impending ban on open nets.

When I tried to access the data through the Access to Information and Privacy process, the data files I received were so censored, they included very little of the information I was actually asking for. Instead I was sent mostly blank or redacted pages. Next, I tried to go through the Auditor General of Canada’s Environmental Petition process, but this produced the same useless files, stripped of all the data that supposedly informed their report findings.

We were not the only ones trying to get the data either. Other researchers and NGOs also asked DFO for it because the report faced widespread criticism, including from 16 academic scientists who wrote an open letter to then Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray, calling out its “significant scientific shortcomings.”

After a year of dead ends we still weren’t giving up, and I filed a complaint in early 2024 with the Information Commissioner of Canada, Caroline Maynard, hoping she would look into it. After a year-long investigation the commissioner emailed me her final report that concluded:

“I order the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to fully disclose the records.”

Yahoo! We were thrilled when the news broke.

Canadians deserve transparency, especially when it comes to foreign industries operating in our public waters. The struggle to obtain this information raises serious concerns about whether DFO was trying to hide something regarding the harmful impacts of fish farms on B.C.’s wild salmon. If there was truly nothing to hide, why would it take a two-year battle and an official government investigation to obtain this data?

As the agency responsible for safeguarding wild salmon, DFO should be prioritizing evidence-based science and transparency. Yet, in cases like this, it seems more concerned with protecting private industry interests than upholding its mandate.

What’s Next?

With the Information Commissioner’s order in place, DFO has 35 business days to respond. As we await the release of the data, Watershed Watch and our allies will continue working to expose the full truth about salmon farming in B.C. Please take a moment to email your MP that we’re all still here and we still want all the farms out as soon as possible.