Angling guides, lodge owners and recreational anglers in northern BC had their worst fears confirmed by Alexandra Morton's research in the Broughton Archipelago near the north end of Vancouver Island when she found that pink and chum fry near fish farms were carrying a deadly toll of sea lice. She predicted the collapse of the pink salmon runs in nearby rivers.

The following year, Morton’s predictions came true when a mere 10% of the expected runs of pink salmon materialized - the worst collapse in history. “We are seeing the consequences of fish farms in wild salmon nurseries where baby wild salmon are exposed to sea lice attack from salmon farms. They are just too small to survive. One of our most productive rivers, the Skeena, will be at risk if we allow the industry to establish itself there, “said Morton.

The salmon aquaculture industry has always been controversial in British Columbia and several government committees that have been established over the years to address some of the concerns. The imposition of a moratorium in 1995 on issuing further fish farm licences was followed by the Salmon Aquaculture Review (SAR) which made 49 recommendations about siting farms, waste management and escapes.

Few of the recommendations were ever implemented and in 2001, the Federal Auditor General released an internal audit, stating that the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans was in a conflict of interest as they try to promote the expansion of salmon farming while at the same time being legally mandated to look after wild fish and fish habitat.

When the current Liberal government in BC lifted the seven-year moratorium on the expansion of fish farms, they began a process which resulted in 18 potential sites being selected along the north coast. Although no farms have yet been moved north, two of the sites, Anger Anchorage and Petrel Point south of the Skeena River estuary, were approved, and a third at Strout’s Point is pending.

The Kitkatla First Nations signed an agreement with Pan Fish to lease their territorial waters for this use. A private fish hatchery at Wolf Creek near Port Edward on the coast had been producing Atlantic salmon smolts for several years. There had already been unconfirmed catches of Atlantic salmon in the Skeena and other northern rivers, and Alaskan commercial salmon fishermen as far north as the Aleutian Islands had caught farmed fish in their nets.

It was time to take action to protect the wild salmon and steelhead of the Nass, the Skeena, the Kitimat and their entire tributaries.The first step was calling a meeting when it became clear that our goal had to be the re-instatement of the moratorium on the expansion of fish farms and we formed a coalition to achieve this goal. All of us, recreational anglers, fishing guides, lodge owners, commercial fishermen, environmentalists, and First Nations, were united in opposition to fish farms moving north.

Supported by donations from local lodges and fishing clients, FOWS opened an office in Terrace and began preparing for a summit to bring the issue to public attention, just prior to the provincial elections. Over 400 people came to the Save Our Salmon Summit May 7th, at the community hall on the Kitsumkalum reserve on the Skeena River to hear about the risks of salmon farms in northern British Columbia.

Martin Krkosek, a doctoral student working with Morton and Volpe showed slides that had been taken days before in the Broughton of pink and chum fry covered with lethal numbers of sea lice. Dr. Allan Gottesfeld talked about his work with the Skeena Fisheries Commission, sampling over 100 sites and collecting over 10,000 salmon fry along the northern coast, including from the proposed sites near the Skeena River estuary.

He told the audience, "The science question is answered. It's settled. Sea lice are a problem in salmon farms and they also affect wild salmon. And I'd say it's time to get past denying there's a problem, that it’s a time for the government to stop denying this and to start talking about what you can do about the problems of sea lice and salmon farms."

McAlister Research presented the results of a poll conducted along the Skeena River that showed that 70% of local residents were opposed to fish farms. The findings revealed that this opposition was virtually the same for members of all political parties and for aboriginal and non-aboriginal residents.

The call to reinstate the moratorium on fish farms became a major issue in the provincial election that followed. In almost every riding where fish farms were an issue, the NDP candidates supporting the call for a moratorium won. Local Terrace MLA Robin Austin was named to the chair of a Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture along with MLA Gary Coons from Prince Rupert, and the committee is conducting hearings.

Approximately 4,000 people have now signed the FOWS declaration demanding a moratorium, and many individuals, local business people, lodge owners, visiting anglers, foundations and other groups continue to contribute financially to FOWS, enabling the organization to hire part-time staff to continue educating the public about the threat fish farms pose to wild fish.

The Friends of Wild Salmon website at www.friendsofwildsalmon.ca was developed this year and has proved to be effective in getting the message out to local residents and anglers from around the world. Users can keep informed about FOWS’ activities, sign the declaration or make a donation, using Pay Pal. Recently, FOWS joined with the Pure Salmon Campaign in sending First Nations spokespeople to the annual general meeting of Pan Fish in Stavanger, Norway, to present stockholders with letters declaring that their traditional territories in northern British Columbia are fish farm free.

Opposition in the north to fish farms continues to grow, thanks in large part to the activities of Friends of Wild Salmon and the north coast continues to be fish farm free. The Atlantic salmon hatchery at Wolf Creek is being dismantled, the two approved fish farm licences at Anger Anchorage and Petrel Point have lapsed and not been renewed, and Strout’s Point has not been approved.

The wild chinook salmon are now returning to the Skeena River and nearby watersheds. Soon, the rivers will be teeming with chum, sockeye, pink and coho salmon. Local anglers, visitors from around the world and First Nations will soon be out on the river, joining the bears and eagles that feast on nature’s bounty as these marvelous wild fish continue the cycle that has nourished the Pacific North West for thousands of years.