Sea Lice Present in Locally Purchase Farmed Salmon

A letter from concerned community groups This is an open letter from community groups concerned about the recent findings of sea lice on farmed salmon by biologist Alexandra Morton:

Today a blog by visiting biologist and open pen salmon farming opponent Alexandra Morton notified the people of Nova Scotia that she has discovered sea lice on farmed salmon purchased at local grocery store chains. To some that may seem like irrelevant news, but to us and our fishing families it is catastrophic news!
Premier Dexter and Minister Belliveau have repeatedly told Nova Scotians that salmon farming is a “natural fit”-we need not be concerned about open pen because they have a strong regulatory regime in place, so no harm will come to our oceans or wild fish stocks. It is alarming that Premier Dexter could claim in the recent issue of Rural Delivery that there are no sea lice in Nova Scotia, yet days later Dr. Morton finds them in grocery stores here. Is his so called strong regulatory regime failing so soon?
Why be disturbed about a little sea louse? Last Fall Environment Canada raided the corporate offices of Cooke Aquaculture and subsequently charged CEO Glenn Cooke and other senior executives with alleged use of illegal pesticides to combat sea lice in New Brunswick. A large lobster kill had occurred. Prior significant lobster kills in New Brunswick were attributed to pesticide use.
The N.S. fishing communities now wonder, are these fish from Nova Scotia? Have pesticides been used here to control lice - pesticides released into our bays that can and will kill non target species such as lobster? It is incredible that our Minister calls open pen farming a “natural fit” for a province with the most lucrative lobster industry in Canada, knowing that sea lice treatments can put our valuable lobster resource at risk.
Dr. Morton's findings need to be explained by our provincial government. If sea lice are a natural fit, then an "X" on a ballot for the NDP is a vote for the slum landlord of fish farming in Nova Scotia.
Mayday Jordan Bay
Sindy Horncastle-Keeler
902-875-4771
Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore
Marike Finlay
902-654-2265
St. Mary’s Bay Coastal Alliance
Karen Crocker
902-839-2923