Local lab to test for sea lice drug-resistance

Paul Rudan
February 25, 2010
Campbell River Mirror

Testing to determine if sea lice are becoming resistant to a chemical product used by fish farmers is expected to begin this spring in Campbell River.

“We hope to begin in April. Some people may say that’s already too late, but you have to start some place,” said Dr. Sonja Saksida of the B.C. Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences.

Alexandra Morton, a biologist, activist and opponent of open netpen salmon farms, recently raised concerns that sea lice may be becoming resistant to SLICE – a vet-prescribed chemical remedy that fish farmers use to kill naturally-occuring sea lice on Atlantic salmon.

Morton said concerns were passed on to her that sea lice were proliferating on Grieg Seafood farms located on the West Coast in the Esperanza Inlet.

“These concerns were passed along by friends and family...no one wants to go on the record because they are fearful of losing their jobs,” she said Wednesday.

According to Morton, provincial data shows that salmon on Grieg’s West Coast farms were treated with SLICE last fall, but then sea lice numbers quickly rebounded. This may indicate, she said, that the sea lice are becoming drug-resistant.

She also speculated that these drug-resistant lice may have already been introduced into Discovery Passage. Salmon harvested on the West Coast are trucked to Campbell River and then over to the Walcan processing plant on Quadra Island.

A video taken by divers shows a dark-coloured and particulate-filled effluent coming from the Walcan outflow into Discovery Passage. Morton claimed the effluent contained sea lice, along with chunks of salmon organs, fins and scales (the video can been seen online at alexandramorton.typepad.com).

“If I’m wrong I imagine I’ll be sued, but if I’m right...,” said Morton. “There’s strong evidence of drug-resistance.” Morton added that she is not “out to get” Walcan, but is disheartened the B.C. government is doing nothing to study or identify potential problems of drug-resistance.

However, a co-owner of Walcan disputed Morton’s allegations and said the company is in full compliance of its Ministry of Environment regulation, and even passed a government environmental audit last week.

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