Virtually All Returning Salmon Infected W. Sea Lice - Vancouver Island

Salmon returning with 'high infestations of sea lice
Study yields surprises, raises more questions about parasite's habits
Carla Wilson
Times Colonist
Thursday, October 02, 2003

"A scientific review of sea lice in the Brought5on Archipelago has delivered some surprising results and posed new questions for researchers.

Scientists found that virtually all returning adult salmon tested after being pulled from the waters off northeastern Vancouver Island and the Broughton Archipelago are arriving already infected with heavy loads of parasitic sea lice, says Dick Beamish, a senior fisheries scientist at Fisheries and Ocenas Canada's Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo.

EDIT

(They) were also 'astounded' when tests of 11,700 juvenile salmon, of all five species, failed to find even one fish suffering from sores or hemorrhaging as a result of parasitic sea lice. Scientists had expected to see skin injuries from the lice, he said Wednesday from Nanaimo. Any injuries spotted were du3e to predators or lampreys.

EDIT

The high numbers of sea lice on returning adults raise questions about their life strategy. It may be that sea lice are infecting the juveniles rearing in these areas and hitching rides to the high seas (Beamish) said. Also, 'I think it is possible that there is an overwintering stage for the sea lice life history that remains to be discovered,' Beamish said."

Interesting story at:

Victoria Times Colonist