This systematic map will evaluate the existing literature base to assess the impacts of sea lice from net-pen salmon farms on wild Pacific salmon in British Columbia. We will use a narrative synthesis and descriptive statistics to describe key characteristics of the evidence base (e.g., number of publications, focal salmon and lice species, life stage of salmon and lice, study objectives, exposure and comparator details, outcomes and study designs) and will identify knowledge gaps to inform future research needs and subtopics (evidence clusters) that are sufficiently covered by existing studies to allow full systematic reviewing. Further, the systematic map will provide an indication of whether we can qualitatively or quantitatively assess the impacts of sea lice for any identified evidence cluster, and in particular, for clusters related to the following sub-questions of interest: (1) To what extent do net-pen salmon farms contribute to the sea lice loads on wild Pacific salmon?, (2) How and to what extent do sea lice affect the performance of juvenile Pacific salmon?, and (3) Does the exposure of sea lice from net-pen salmon farms have a population-level effect on wild Pacific salmon, and if so, to what extent? 

This work will be completed through multiple formal peer-review meetings via the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) at Fisheries and Oceans, Canada.  The Terms of Reference and objectives of the first phase of this peer review can be found at https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/Schedule-Horraire/2024/792-eng.html.

Review Team/Collaborators

Trina Rytwinski – Carleton University, Canada

Steven J. Cooke – Carleton University, Canada

Kathryn Peiman – Carleton University, Canada

Lily Weber – Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Ian King – Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Sunita Khatkar – Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Amanda Winegardner – Fisheries and Oceans Canada

External Advisory Team

Brian Riddell – Pacific Salmon Foundation

Knut Vollset – NORCE: Norwegian Research Centre

John Reynolds – Simon Fraser University

Kerra Shaw – Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Mark Higgins – Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Project status – Ongoing

We are still in the process of collecting literature for this project. If you have any relevant materials please get in touch with the CEIC contact below.

CEIC contact – Trina.Rywinski@carleton.ca