Salmon farms in British Columbia pose minimal impact on wild salmon populations, according to a review paper, or “Viewpoint,” published in the journal Aquaculture, Fish and Fisheries.

The paper, authored by six fish health experts from UC Davis, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Washington State University, and Oregon State University, reinterprets 20 years of scientific publication to draw its conclusion.

“Infectious disease is a normal part of all animal populations,” said corresponding author Gary D. Marty, a research associate with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and a senior fish pathology consultant in British Columbia. “Also normal is pathogen transfer among populations that interact, including wild and farmed salmon. Many studies over the past two decades have elevated these natural risks to an existential threat to wild salmon. We critique these interpretations, showing that in British Columbia, we have no good evidence that risks from salmon farm pathogens have resulted in long-term impacts on wild salmon populations.”

The Government of Canada announced in June 2024 that it would ban open net-pen salmon aquaculture in British Columbia coastal waters by June 30, 2029.