Statement
NEW PSF STUDY SPREADS MISINFO ON MARINE BACTERIA
STATEMENT FROM B.C. SALMON FARMERS: NEW STUDY SPREADS MISINFORMATION ON COMMON MARINE BACTERIA IN WILD SALMON
Liǧʷiłdaxʷ TERRITORY/CAMPBELL RIVER, BC — August 7, 2026 — A new study conducted by the Pacific Salmon Foundation and UBC Researchers reporting tenacibaculosis in wild-caught Chinook salmon does not demonstrate a link to salmon farming. In fact, the fish examined in the study were captured in an area where salmon farms are not present and developed disease only after being caught with recreational fishing gear, handled, transported and confined in tanks.
The BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) has reviewed the study, First report of tenacibaculosis in wild-caught Pacific salmon, and related commentary from the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF). The findings are consistent with what has long been understood about Tenacibaculum: these common bacteria are widespread in the marine environment and can act as opportunistic pathogens when fish are stressed or compromised.
“This study describes fish that became sick after they were caught, handled and held in tanks—the authors say so themselves,” said Brian Kingzett, Executive Director, BCSFA. “That is not evidence that salmon farms are harming wild salmon, and it should not be reported as though it were. "Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) previously conducted an extensive risk assessment of Tenacibaculum maritimum and concluded that it is unlikely to cause disease at the population level in wild Pacific salmon. Nothing in this new study overturns that conclusion."
The authors themselves point to the likely trigger for the lesions observed: they “could have been initially triggered by injury associated with the removal of protective mucus during angling capture and post-capture handling procedures.” All salmon are vulnerable to the cumulative effects of capture, handling, transport and confinement. This raises an important animal-welfare consideration that should not be overlooked. Appropriate training in fish handling, welfare and recognition of handling-related effects should be a required component of research involving live wild salmon. Researchers handling wild salmon must understand that capture and handling methods can themselves affect fish health and study outcomes.
The study identified Tenacibaculum dicentrarchi as the likely cause in the most severely affected fish—a different species from the T. maritimum responsible for “mouth rot” on B.C. Atlantic salmon farms. This distinction matters especially when conflating the impacts of tenacibaculus on wild Pacific salmon.
Chinook have been farmed in B.C. continuously since 1990, and millions of fish have been raised, yet tenacibaculosis has never been diagnosed as a disease outbreak in farm-raised Chinook salmon in BC. The fundamental issue is straightforward: detecting a naturally occurring marine bacterium does not establish its source, and detecting a bacterium does not establish disease.
This is not the first time these researchers have attempted to associate naturally occurring Tenacibaculum with salmon farms. Honest public discussion must consider the full body of evidence, including federal risk assessments and independent, peer-reviewed analyses—rather than a single study viewed in isolation.
What the wider evidence shows
DFO’s 2020 peer-reviewed assessment concluded that T. maritimum transfer from Atlantic salmon farms in the Discovery Islands poses no more than a minimal risk to Fraser River sockeye abundance and diversity, and DFO has stated the bacterium has not been demonstrated to cause disease in wild Pacific salmon. Recent peer-reviewed studies support this finding:
Tenacibaculosis Caused by Tenacibaculum maritimum Is Not Transmitted From Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) to Canadian Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha W.) in a Cohabitation Model — Chinook cohabitated with exposed Atlantic salmon showed no illness or mortality.
Pathogens From Salmon Aquaculture in Relation to Conservation of Wild Pacific Salmon in Canada: An Alternative Perspective
Discussion about “Atlantic Salmon farms are a likely source of Tenacibaculum maritimum infection in migratory Fraser River Sockeye Salmon”
B.C.’s salmon farmers share the public’s resolve to defend healthy, abundant wild salmon, and we work alongside Rights-Holder First Nations, regulators and independent scientists to support wild stocks. Honest public discussion must consider the full body of evidence, including federal risk assessments and independent, peer-reviewed analyses—rather than a single study viewed in isolation.
ABOUT THE BC SALMON FARMERS ASSOCIATION
The BC Salmon Farmers Association represents nearly 60 businesses and organizations throughout the value chain of finfish aquaculture in BC. Our members account for over 95% of the annual provincial harvest of farm-raised salmon in British Columbia.
Farm-raised salmon generates over $1.17 billion for the provincial economy, supporting 4,560 well-paid full-time jobs. Additionally, farm-raised salmon provides a nutritious and sustainably produced protein with a low carbon footprint that contributes to Canada’s food security and Blue Economy.
BC salmon farmers are committed to reconciliation. All farms operating in BC are currently in agreement, negotiation, or established partnerships with First Nations in whose territories we operate. These agreements are founded upon recognizing First Nations’ right to exercise jurisdiction over the land, resources, and waters within their territories.
For more information, visit bcsalmonfarmers.ca.
For a comprehensive scientific summary of salmon farming in BC, read our Modern Science Review (bcsalmonfarmers.ca/science-review).
MEDIA CONTACT
Andrew Nixon
250-895-1761
Additional Scientific Research
Di Cicco E, Godwin SC, Zinn KR, Johnston SD, Kaukinen KH, Schulze AD, et al. First report of tenacibaculosis in wild-caught Pacific salmon. Scientific Reports. 2026.
BC Salmon Farmers Association. Caring for fish health. Modern Salmon Farming in BC: A Review. Campbell River: BC Salmon Farmers Association; 2024. p. 95.
Marty GD. Discussion about “Atlantic Salmon farms are a likely source of Tenacibaculum maritimum infection in migratory Fraser River Sockeye Salmon”. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 2026;83:1–8.
Nowlan JP, Heese B, Hudson M, Lumsden JS, Russell S. Tenacibaculosis Caused by Tenacibaculum maritimum Is Not Transmitted From Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) to Canadian Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha W.) in a Cohabitation Model. Aquaculture Research. 2025;2025(1):3544576.
