10/16/06 Sea Lice and Salmon

When you "farm" a wild animal be it an elk, deer, pheasant or fish there is always the risk of contaminating the native species. The recent elk escapade in Idaho is just one of many examples of the havoc that can be wrecked when a game farm animal mixes with indigenous species. The same holds true for sea creatures, currently salmon farms are bearing the responsibility for spreading dreaded sea lice to wild salmon. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has concluded that sea lice passed from salmon farms are devastating the wild salmon pollution at an alarming rate with some estimates as high as 95 percent kill for juvenile salmon who are especially venerable to the parasite. A spokesperson for the Pure Salmon Campaign, a part of the National Environmental Trust said the Academy's findings proved that salmon farms needed to be removed from the ocean into contained systems. So far the US has remained free from the sea lice that has infected Ireland, Norway, Scotland and Canada.