Grassroots-based Positive Aquaculture Awareness (PAA) representatives today confronted anti-aquaculture activist Alexandra Morton at her "no-news conference", demanding to know why she continues to make baseless allegations against BC’s sustainable salmon farming sector.

“We caught Ms. Morton in the act of misleading the media today, and we believe her credibility is now irreparably tarnished,” said Ian Roberts, President, PAA.

“There was no news at this so-called news conference and no science, only the same tired fear-mongering,” said Roberts. 

“Ms. Morton continued to insist pink salmon returns are declining when in fact the scientific evidence shows the exact opposite: returns are rising,” said Roberts.”

"According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 204,434 fish returned so far this year to the five indicator streams -- that’s a higher total than in all of 2003, the last odd-year run, and the 2005 total is expected to rise even further by year end,” said Roberts.

“Asked how she could claim salmon farms were endangering wild salmon runs when those runs were in fact rising, Ms. Morton simply refused to give a straight answer,” said Roberts.

“Ms. Morton continues to compare 2001 numbers to 2005 without informing the media that, in fact, 2001 was a historic high that saw the largest number of spawners in recorded history in the Broughton,” said Roberts. 

“It is no surprise, then, that the population fell in 2002 as the result of increased competition for finite food resources,” said Roberts.

“What we are now seeing in 2005 is normal, rising returns that clearly demonstrate salmon farms are not having a negative impact on wild fish,” said Roberts.

Two new peer-reviewed scientific studies provide further proof salmon farms are not endangering wild salmon runs in BC. 

The first study, published by Order of Canada recipient Dr. Dick Beamish et al concludes “the prevalence and intensities of sea lice were similar in each study area, one of which had salmon farms and one that had no salmon farms.”  The full study can be found at www.salmonfarmers.org/pdfs/Beamish_etal_SeaLice_Sept2005.pdf

The second study, published by Kenneth M. Brooks concludes that there is “little potential for salmon farms to be self-infecting or to infect migrating wild fish in their immediate vicinity.”  The second study can be found here: www.salmonfarmers.org/pdfs/Sealicepape_Brooks2004.pdf