Sea lice from salmon farms are one of the most significant threats facing wild salmon in British Columbia. Stocked year round with hundreds of thousands of fish in small areas (net-cages) fish farms are ideal, and unnatural breeding grounds for lice. Infestations on farms significantly increase the number of lice in surrounding waters, far beyond what would occur naturally.
In the spring, when fish eggs hatch and juvenile salmon emerge from the rivers and make their way to the ocean many are exposed to sea lice during their journey because fish farms are typically located in sheltered waters along wild salmon migration routes. Juvenile pink and chum salmon are smaller than an AAA battery when they migrate by salmon farms and some may not have fully developed scales yet. When lice attach themselves to juveniles, their bodies may not be able to cope, and they may die.