Industry delight as study shows lice not to blame for salmon deaths

A Marine Institute study which says sea lice do not play a significant role in salmon mortality has been welcomed by the seafood industry.

The impact of sea lice generated by fish farms is a huge source of controversy internationally with environmentalists and anglers arguing that farmed fish pens create high levels of sea lice which pose a potentially fatal threat to young wild salmon returning to sea.

The study, carried out by the Marine Institute based in NUI Galway, found that sea lice infestation was unlikely to be a significant factor influencing the conservation status of salmon stocks.