The Sea Shepherd association for the defense of the oceans and marine creatures has started Operation Virus Hunter to investigate the activities of salmon farms that appear to be increasingly shrouded in secrecy. Pamela Anderson participates in the campaign as an activist to give her a voice internationally.
Biologist Alexandra Morton will contribute to investigate the legitimacy of salmon farms starting in the Vancouver area. Sea Shepherd will make a stop along the main migratory route of salmon and will stop at various farms to check for disease.
Operation Virus Hunter wants to turn the spotlight on salmon farm operations. Sea Shepherd fears that farmed salmon may find an escape route in the ocean and contaminate wild salmon. Furthermore, there are fears that the waste from these farms will pollute the most important migratory route of wild salmon in the world.
According to Sea Shepherd, it is essential to continue working to protect wild salmon and fish stocks. Recent population declines of wild salmon they could be due to the spread of disease starting on salmon farms.
It does indeed happen that often farmed salmon are released back into the ocean with the hope of repopulating fish stocks. The intentional and unintentional release of farmed salmon into the wild is one of the main reasons for the increased risk of extinction of Atlantic salmon, according to Sea Shepherd.
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There is also the problem of massive use of antibiotics in salmon farms why farmed salmon are more susceptible to disease. Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd, explained that the new mission is to investigate, document and show all the secrets of an industry that is spreading disease and destroying the natural habitat of Atlantic salmon. In the farms there are some species of salmon that do not belong to the habitat of the Atlantic Ocean and which therefore would struggle to adapt once released and which also carry with them the risk of spreading diseases among free salmon.
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In this video Pamela Anderson highlights the dangers associated with farmed salmon both from an environmental point of view and as regards the conservation of natural habitats and local species. Watch the video.
Photo source: Joinfo
