Do farmed Atlantic salmon introduce new diseases into B.C. waters?
Atlantic salmon and indigenous wild salmon are subject to the same disease pathogens. Atlantic salmon have been raised in pens on the west coast since the early 1970’s, and have never introduced an exotic disease into British Columbia. Farmers place a great amount of importance on maintaining healthy stocks, as sick fish represent a direct economic loss to their business. All salmon smolts that are placed into marine net pens in B.C. are free of disease, and any disease they experience through their lifetime on the farm has originated in the wild environment. Any fish imported into British Columbia must be tested prior to entrance fro the presence of disease agents. B.C. has a strict “eggs only” policy for importation of salmon that reduces the risk of introducing any disease agent. In addition, a federal-provincial introductions and transfers committee (ITC) was created specifically to consider potential ecological, genetic and fish health risks associated with moving aquatic organism
