Escapes of cultured finfish from BC aquaculture sites

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO’s) Pacific Aquaculture Regulations and Conditions of Licence for aquaculture in B.C. require licence holders to take various fish escape prevention measures, including maintaining infrastructure in a manner to prevent the escape of farmed fish into the environment as well as responding to remedy the cause of the escape as soon as possible.

When there is evidence that an escape event has occurred, licence holders must report the incident to the department within 24 hours either through the Observe Record and Report Line (ORR 1-800-465-4336), or to a dedicated email mailbox, detailing the cause, time and location of the event and the species, size and number of fish involved. The licence holder must also provide fish health information about the stock, such as exposure to therapeutants. A more detailed written report is then submitted to the department within seven days.

DFO monitors BC waters for escaped Atlantic salmon through the Atlantic Salmon Watch Program (ASWP), which relies on voluntary reports from fish harvesters. A summary of reports made to the ASWP since July 2005 is available.