Don't Eat Farmed Salmon!

Science Daily:

Comparing the survival of wild salmonid populations in areas near salmon farms with unexposed populations reveals a large reduction in survival in the populations reared near salmon farms. Since the late 1970s, salmon aquaculture has grown into a global industry, producing over 1 million tons of salmon per year. However, this solution to globally declining fish stocks has come under increasing fire. In a new study Jennifer Ford and Ransom Myers provide the first evidence on a global scale illustrating systematic declines in wild salmon populations that come into contact with farmed salmon.

Previous studies have clearly shown that escaped farm salmon breed with wild populations to the detriment of the wild stocks, and that diseases and parasites are passed from farm to wild salmon. However, until now, there has been no assessment of the importance of these impacts at the population level and across the globe. Here, Ford & Myers compared the survival of salmon and trout that swim past salmon farms to the survival of those fish that never pass a salmon farm.

Good

The Oregonian:

The federal judge pressing federal agencies to remedy the damage Columbia River hydroelectric dams wreak on protected salmon warned Wednesday of "very harsh" consequences if federal agencies do not find a legitimate solution.

U.S. District Judge James A. Redden did not specify what the consequences would be, but he has previously mentioned the possibilities of draining reservoirs and diverting extra water from other uses to help fish.

That could curtail cheap electricity generated by the dams and could limit irrigation supplies and barge traffic on the river.

During a hearing in his Portland courtroom Wednesday on the status of a landmark salmon lawsuit, his message for the federal government appeared to be that its draft plan to help salmon isn't good enough, and must do more for fish.