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Potential effects surrounding the importation of European-origin cultured Atlantic salmon to Atlantic salmon populations and habitats in Newfoundland

National Peer Review – National Capital Region

March 26-28, 2013
Ottawa, ON

Co-Chairpersons: Mike Chadwick and Jay Parsons

Context

Canada’s main aquaculture organizations have expressed considerable interest in gaining access to better-performing Atlantic Salmon broodlines to increase Canadian aquaculture industry competitiveness.  Two companies on the East Coast of Canada have sought approval from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to import small numbers of Norwegian-origin Atlantic Salmon from an Icelandic facility for the purpose of conducting performance trials in net cages at sea.  These companies would like to investigate whether this foreign strain has the potential for improved performance under Newfoundland conditions compared to that currently being realized from domestic-origin fish.  These requests were denied, in part, due to the uncertainty surrounding the growth, survival, and reproduction of potential farm escapees.  It was concluded that this high level of uncertainty precluded determination of the level of ecological and genetic risks that potential escapes from farms could pose to wild Atlantic Salmon and their habitat.  An increased understanding and characterization of these risks is needed to help inform management on policy direction and/or decision-making and on possible mitigation measures that may alter risk profiles regarding advice on similar future requests.

Canada’s National Code on Introductions and Transfers of Aquatic Organisms requires that a risk assessment be conducted in evaluating requests for introductions or transfers of fish.  Aquaculture Operations Management Directorate is requesting science advice to inform the risk assessment and subsequent risk management decisions regarding requests for importation and use of European-origin Atlantic Salmon broodlines in salmon aquaculture in Newfoundland.

Although there is a large body of scientific information available on genetic and ecological interactions between cultured and/or non-local salmonid populations and local wild populations, there may be some aspects of these topics for which information is not widely available or has not been thoroughly investigated (e.g., interactions between Atlantic Salmon from the western and eastern North Atlantic, particularly between wild and those intensively cultured).  The literature must be consolidated, taking into account uncertainty due to knowledge gaps, to provide managers with concise, peer-reviewed, and relevant science advice. Working paper(s) will examine the nature, likelihood, and consequences of genetic and ecological (including disease transmission) interactions between cultured European-origin and wild Atlantic Salmon in Newfoundland as well as possible mitigation measures (physical and/or biological) that might reduce impacts associated with these interactions.

Objectives

The scientific review will address the following questions:

  1. What is the likelihood that European-origin aquaculture escapes will mate successfully with native wild salmon?  What risks could such interbreeding present to native populations?  How might this risk scale with the size of the interaction?
  2. What could be the direct and indirect genetic and phenotypic (e.g., growth, survival) consequences to native Atlantic Salmon if European-origin cultured Atlantic Salmon were to successfully breed and/or interbreed with native Atlantic Salmon?
  3. What ecological risks could European-origin cultured Atlantic Salmon and their hybrids present to native Atlantic Salmon populations in native river systems and marine habitats (i.e., changes in competition, disease transmission, reproduction, displacement, and predation)?
  4. How might mitigation measures be used to prevent or reduce the likelihood of escape of European-origin fish from physical containment systems?  Are there biocontainment measures that could operate subsequent to an escape event to reduce further the likelihood of interaction between the escaped and wild native salmon?  How could these mitigation measures result in possible reductions in genetic, phenotypic and/or ecological risks to wild populations?

Expected Publications

Participation

Invited experts will be selected for objectivity and credibility among peers and will be balanced across the diverse perspectives.  Participation is anticipated from the following organizations and agencies:

References

DFO, 1999. Interaction Between Wild and Farmed Atlantic Salmon in the Maritime Provinces. DFO Maritimes Regional Habitat Status Report 99/1E.

DFO. 2008. Potential Technologies for Closed-containment Saltwater Salmon Aquaculture.
DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2008/001.

Genetic Status of Atlantic Salmon in Maine: Interim Report. 2002. National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. ISBN: 0-309-51052-X, 76 pp.

Glebe, B.D. 1998. East Coast Salmon Aquaculture Breeding Programs: History and Future. Canadian Stock Assessment Secretariat Research Document 98/157

O’Reilly, P.T., J.W. Carr, J.W., Whoriskey, F.G., and Verspoor, E. 2006. Detection of European ancestry in escaped farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in the Magaguadavic River and Chamcook Stream, New Brunswick, Canada. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 63:1256-1262

Thorstad, E.B., Fleming, I.A., McGinnity, P., Soto, D., Wennevik, V., and Whoriskey, F. 2008. Incidence and impacts of escaped farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in nature. NINA Special Report 36. 110 pp.

Verspoor, E. 1997. Genetic diversity among Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) populations. ICES Journal of Marine Science 54:965-973

Verspoor, E. 1998. Genetic Impacts on Wild Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) Stocks from Escaped Farm Conspecifics: An Assessment of Risk. Canadian Stock Assessment Secretariat Research Document 98/156

Notice

Participation to CSAS peer review meetings is by invitation only.

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