Mortality at salmon aquaculture facilities is closely monitored. If the amount of dead fish at a farm exceeds thresholds outlined in conditions of licence, a mortality event is said to have occurred and must be reported to DFO within 24 hours of discovery. Facility managers and veterinarian(s) must determine the probable cause of the event and develop a plan to mitigate ongoing harm to the farmed fish and reduce any risk to wild fish. Companies must continue to update Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) every 10 days for the duration of the mortality event, including daily mortality counts, mitigation applied, determination of the cause(s) of the event and any updated plan. This report provides a summary of mortality events reported by aquaculture companies to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Historical data are available from 2011 to the present. Explanation of the terms used in the report’s column headings can be found in the terminology file below.

Fish health on British Columbia salmon farms is managed throughout the production cycle to maintain healthy fish populations and to identify and address disease occurrences as soon as they arise. Aquaculture licence conditions set out mandatory monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure any potential impacts are appropriately mitigated at salmon farms. A central component of on-farm fish health management is a Fish Health Management Plan (FHMP). FHMPs are approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and describe the fish health principles that the licensee must follow to maintain fish health and biosecurity at the farm. Both DFO and aquaculture companies have veterinarians on staff (or available on contract, for some companies) to monitor fish health on farms. Company veterinarians oversee routine health screening and ensure appropriate husbandry in day-to-day operations and identify appropriate management measures if fish health concerns arise. Licence holders must routinely submit a variety of fish health data to DFO. Routine reports include monthly sea lice abundance, antimicrobial use and information on [mortality rates](https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/85986a45-b71d-4380-8990-d5763fdf19a5"mortality rates"), including the suspected [cause of mortality](https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/0a8c5505-ecb3-4d8b-8120-462bd7def6bb"cause of mortality"). Additional reports are submitted if there are elevated mortalities, a fish health event that requires the involvement of a veterinarian or sea lice abundance over the DFO determined threshold. Through the Fish Health Audit and Surveillance Program, DFO oversees the health of cultured salmon to minimize fish health and disease risks to wild and farmed fish and publishes [reports](http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/regs-eng.html"reports") on regulation and monitoring of BC’s marine finfish aquaculture facilities. Sites are [routinely inspected](http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/reporting-rapports/health-compliance-conform-sante/index-eng.html"routinely inspected") to ensure compliance with licence conditions and FHMPs, to verify the accuracy of industry reporting, and to collect samples for [independent](https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/6c891715-317c-4d4d-9fe8-ea425e01d9d2"independent") fish health and disease screening. All salmon aquaculture transfers require authorization under section 56 of the Fishery (General) Regulations. Movements of fish to and from farms may be required to introduce new stock, facilitate growth at different life stages or optimize production. All transfer applications are accompanied by a signed veterinary attestation which details the health status of the fish to be transferred and attests to their health. DFO reviews these applications to determine whether the movement may adversely affect local aquatic species and habitats. DFO veterinarians and biologists assess the information gathered by DFO audits and inspections, as well as that submitted by industry to gain a complete picture of the health status of the fish to be moved. Occasionally a fish health concern will be identified during the review conducted by DFO fish health staff. Most often, clarification with the industry’s fish health staff will be sufficient to address the concern; however occasionally additional mitigative measures are deemed necessary to address potential risks. Animal welfare and ensuring humane treatment of the fish are an important consideration when choosing the most appropriate mitigation option. Common mitigation measures include: • Pre-transfer grading to select the healthiest fish within the age class • Humane culling to remove affected fish or “poor performers” that are most likely to harbour disease or unlikely to ingest medicated feed. Poor performers are fish that fail to thrive, stop or reduce feeding, and may be emaciated (long and skinny). There are various reasons a fish becomes a poor performer, including failure to adapt to salt

This report provides summary fish health data collected by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) from randomly selected licensed marine facilities culturing salmon in British Columbia (BC). Results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening are provided, as well as a list of the bacterial pathogens isolated by culture, and whether a pathogen or disease has been confirmed by histopathology (microscopic examination). DFO veterinarians provide a farm-level diagnosis and identify any conditions of note based on these laboratory findings and any other information collected during the fish health audit or reported by companies as a condition of licence. The terminology used in the report’s column headings can be found in the terminology file below. DFO Science is engaged in numerous active research projects examining issues such as fish diseases, wild-cultured species interactions and habitat impacts related to aquaculture. Information on some of these projects, as well as on aquaculture research occurring in other regions, is available on our [website](http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/science-eng.html"website"). Related links: + Infographic: [Monitoring fish health from hatchery to harvest](https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/about-notre-sujet/publications/infographics-infographies/hatchery-ecloserie-eng.html) + Infographic: [How DFO inspects fish health at BC aquaculture sites](http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/aquaculture/publications/infographics-infographie/health-sante-eng.html)

The project (Quoddy Region Pelagics Telemetry) will support the assessment of the effects of aquaculture on the distribution and abundance of pelagic fishes (salmon, mackerel, herring) and large predators (shark, marine mammals) in Passamaquoddy Bay and the Bay of Fundy, an area of intense finfish culture. An acoustic receivers network is placed yearly (from April to December) across various passageways, locations of project-specific interest, and at aquaculture sites in the region. Tagged pelagic species will be tracked through the network to provide information on migration routes, movement speed, survival rates and suspected predators, and determine interaction and residence at aquaculture sites. The network was utilized for monitoring the passage of: hatchery-reared wild salmon (n=340) released in the Magaguadavic River in 2018, 2019 and 2021, wild alewives (n=30) from the St. Croix River in 2021, and farmed Atlantic salmon released in the wild (n=99) in 2021. The receiver network has more recently supported adjacent projects on the use of the region by white shark and porbeagle as well as the residence of mackerel, herring, and sculpin at farm sites. The receivers additionally support other researchers with detection of striped bass, Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon, sturgeon, and many other species. Placement of the network will continue into 2025 inclusive with the longer-term goal to eventually deploy an array covering the entrance to the Bay of Fundy. Cite this data as: Trudel, M., Wilson, B., Black, M. 2023. Assessing bay-scale impacts of aquaculture operations on the distribution and abundance of pelagic fishes and large predators. Accessed via the Ocean Tracking Network OBIS IPT in January 2025 (version 3.1). https://doi.org/10.14286/xfa6sr

Marine mammal predator control is governed by the Marine Mammal Regulations under the Fisheries Act. Records of marine mammal mortalities are maintained and results reported publicly. Additional licences can be obtained for control of other species. Fisheries and Oceans Canada works with industry to improve marine mammal deterrent and control measures. At present, the most common system includes anti-predator netting that surrounds the facility structure on all sides and from below. Fisheries and Oceans Canada biologists conduct site audits and inspections to ensure that licence holders are complying with their licence conditions and implementing elements of their predator management plans. Aquaculture facilities must report marine mammal fatalities to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has been conducting surface water trawl surveys since 1992 in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Alaska and in the high seas of the Gulf of Alaska. These surveys initially focused on determining the migratory patterns (1992-2002) and on the growth and physiology (2003-2016) of juvenile Pacific Salmon. Since 2016, these surveys have been broadened to monitor the whole pelagic ecosystem, retaining a focus on juvenile Pacific Salmon. Data were collected from sites in the inland sea waters of British Columbia and Washington State, USA, that comprise the Strait of Georgia, Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound since 2001 and are ongoing.

This fish and benthic composition database is the result of a multifaceted effort described below. The intent of this work is five fold: 1) To spatially characterize and monitor the distribution, abundance, and size of both reef fishes and macro-invertebrates (conch, lobster, Diadema); 2) To relate this information to in-situ data collected on associated benthic composition parameters; 3) To use this information to establish the knowledge base necessary for enacting management decisions in a spatial setting; 4) To establish the efficacy of those management decisions; and 5) To work with the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program to develop data collection standards and easily implemented methodologies for transference to other agencies and to work toward standardizing data collection throughout the US states and territories. Toward this end, the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment's Biogeography Branch (BB) has been conducting research in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands since 2000 and 2001, respectively. It is critical, with recent changes in management at both locations (e.g. implementation of MPAs) as well as proposed changes (e.g. zoning to manage multiple human uses) that action is taken now to accurately describe and characterize the fish/macro-invertebrate populations in these areas. It is also important that BB work closely with the individuals responsible for recommending and implementing these management strategies. Recognizing this, BB has been collaborating with partners at the University of Puerto Rico, National Park Service, US Geological Survey and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources. To quantify patterns of spatial distribution and make meaningful interpretations, we must first have knowledge of the underlying variables determining species distribution. The basis for this work therefore, is the nearshore benthic habitats maps (less than 100 ft depth) created by NOAA's Biogeography Program in 2001 and NOS' bathymetry models. Using ArcView GIS software, the digitized habitat maps are stratified to select sampling stations. Sites are randomly selected within these strata to ensure coverage of the entire study region and not just a particular reef or seagrass area. At each site, fish, macro-invertebrates, and benthic composition information is then quantified following standardized protocols. By relating the data collected in the field back to the habitat maps and bathymetric models, BB is able to model and map species level and community level information. These protocols are standardized throughout the US Caribbean to enable quantification and comparison of reef fish abundance and distribution trends between locations. Armed with the knowledge of where "hot spots" of species richness and diversity are likely to occur in the seascape, the BB is in a unique position to answer questions about the efficacy of marine zoning strategies (e.g. placement of no fishing, anchoring, or snorkeling locations), and what locations are most suitable for establishing MPAs. Knowledge of the current status of fish/macro-invertebrate communities coupled with longer term monitoring will enable evaluation of management efficacy, thus it is essential to future management actions.

The Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) ecosystem surveys consist of research vessel survey data collected to monitor the distribution and abundance of fish and invertebrates throughout the Scotian Shelf, Bay of Fundy and Georges Bank. The surveys follow a stratified random sampling design, and include sampling of fish and invertebrates using a bottom otter trawl. These survey data are the primary data source for monitoring trends in species distribution, abundance, and biological condition within the region, and also provide data to the Atlantic Zonal Monitoring Program (AZMP) for monitoring hydrographic variability. Collected data includes total catch in numbers and weights by species. Length frequency data is available for most species, as are the age, sex, maturity and weight information for a subset of the individual animals. Other data such as ageing material, genetic material, and stomach contents are often also collected, but are stored elsewhere. “Spring” cruises occur in January, February, March and April, and focus on Georges Bank (i.e. 5Z). Cite this data as: Clark, D., Emberley, J. Data of MARITIMES SPRING RESEARCH VESSEL SURVEY. Published January 2021. Population Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/fecf045a-95a2-4b69-8a40-818649a62716