Farmed salmon could become an invasive species in forest streamsMarch 09, 2007Ever since the Norwegians expanded commercial farming of salmon in the 1960s, the industry has continued to rapidly grow worldwide. It has expanded to such a degree that prices for farmed salmon have plummeted and, there is concern that farmed fish may become the next invasive species. "Farmed fish escaping from marine net pens might become an invasive species in British Columbia, Washington or Alaska," says research fish biologist Peter Bisson. "Net pen culture of salmon is big business worldwide, and both advocates and opponents of salmon farming have been very vocal in stating their views. I wanted to look at the hard evidence to determine the short- and long-term risks to native species in streams on National Forests." Bisson, a staff scientist with the Pacific Northwest Research Station/Forest Service, began work on the report, Assessment of the Risk of Invasion of National Forest Streams in the Pacific Northwest by Farmed Atlantic Salmon, to assess the potential impact of farmed salmon on native fishes inhabiting streams on National Forest System lands and to learn if concerns from both sides of the farmed-versus-wild fish debate had validity, based on an extensive literature review. Here are some of the findings in the report: - At present, breeding populations of escaped farm salmon are not known to exist on National Forest System lands, but the locations of Atlantic salmon farms and the sightings of escaped salmon indicate that streams on four national forests may be at risk: the Tongass and Chugach NF in Alaska, and the Olympic and Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NF in Washington. - Atlantic salmon could transmit a serious disease or parasite to native fishes. - Escaped salmon may eventually adapt to local conditions, leading to self-sustaining populations. - Escaped salmon could compete with already at-risk species, such as steelhead. "Given the precarious state of many of our native salmon stocks," explains Bisson, "it seems prudent to be safe rather than sorry, and to be diligent in monitoring any reports of Atlantic salmon in Pacific Northwest streams whether in national forests or in state and private forests." USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station |
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| Related Salmon Current Events and Salmon News Articles Tags reveal white sharks have neighborhoods in the north Pacific, say Stanford researchers The white shark may be the ultimate loner of the ocean, cruising thousands of miles in a solitary trek, but a team of researchers has discovered that the sharks have maintained such a consistent pattern of migration that over tens of thousands of years the white sharks in the northeastern Pacific Ocean have separated themselves into a population genetically distinct from sharks elsewhere in the world. Living, Meandering River Constructed In a feat of reverse-engineering, Christian Braudrick of University of California at Berkeley and three coauthors have successfully built and maintained a scale model of a living meandering gravel-bed river in the lab. A new chemical method for distinguishing between farmed and wild salmon Wild salmon and farmed salmon can now be distinguished from each other by a technique that examines the chemistry of their scales. Northern brown bears discovered feeding on whitefish runs The discovery of brown (grizzly) bears feeding on migrating broad whitefish in a stream in Mackenzie Delta region of the Northwest Territories has researchers advising increased care in petroleum extraction and infrastructure development within the area. Bugs in Boxes Shed Light on Biological Invasions Bugs in boxes are helping UC Davis researcher Alan Hastings improve scientific tools used to predict the spread of invasive plants and animals. Salmon migration mystery explored on Idaho's Clearwater River Temperature differences and slow-moving water at the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake rivers in Idaho might delay the migration of threatened juvenile salmon and allow them to grow larger before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Northwestern United States could face more tamarisk invasion by century's end If the future warming trends that scientists have projected are realized, one of the country's most aggressive exotic plants will have the potential to invade more U.S. land area, according to a new study published in the current issue of the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management. Widespread Occurrence of Intersex Bass Found in U.S. Rivers Intersex in smallmouth and largemouth basses is widespread in numerous river basins throughout the United States is the major finding of the most comprehensive and large-scale evaluation of the condition, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research published online in Aquatic Toxicology. River flow and temperature limit trout numbers Over a 23-year study, Javier Lobon-Cervia has found the mechanism that controls the number of salmonids found each year in Cantabrian rivers. Half of the fish consumed globally is now raised on farms, study finds Aquaculture, once a fledgling industry, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally, according to a new report by an international team of researchers. And while the industry is more efficient than ever, it is also putting a significant strain on marine resources by consuming large amounts of feed made from wild fish harvested from the sea, the authors conclude. More Salmon Current Events and Salmon News Articles |
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