A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences makes a convincing case that salmon farms are killing off wild salmon. The study found that salmon farms are massive breeding grounds for parasites known as sea lice. The parasites then concentrate in rivers and streams and kill the young salmon who do not have scales to protect themselves. Most salmon farms are located in Canada, where 280 salmon farms produce about 96,000 tons of salmon each year. About 70 percent goes U.S. consumers. The study, which confirms previous findings, is the most comprehensive to date. Responding to this study and similar past study results, Andrew Thomson, Canada’s government head of Pacific fisheries, said, “We need to do more research on it.” Farmed salmon is also known to have higher levels of PCBs than wild salmon.
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