DFO Fish Health Monitoring at British Columbia Aquaculture Sites, Quarterly Updates

Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducts fish health audits at active salmon farms in British Columbia. The data reflects a quarterly monitoring program targeting approximately 120 active farm sites per year, using a random selection system weighted by species and zone. Summary tables are updated quarterly to reflect these activities.

Use Cases

• Analyzing disease prevalence and cause-of-death patterns in farmed salmon based on the targeted sampling of recently dead fish.
• Evaluating the spatial distribution of fish health audits across British Columbia's fish health zones based on the weighted random selection system.
• Monitoring temporal trends in aquaculture site activity and audit frequency based on quarterly updates.
• Assessing the implementation and coverage of a government regulatory health monitoring program based on the described audit methodology.

Strengths

• Data is collected via a formalized, randomized audit system designed to ensure equal probability of farm selection.
• Sampling targets approximately 120 active farm sites per year, providing a consistent scale for analysis.
• Targeted sampling on recently dead fish increases the likelihood of accurate disease diagnosis, as described.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific modeling tasks.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the open_canada platform and the specific monitoring program.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada

Collection Method

Quarterly fish health audits conducted at randomly selected active salmon farms during carcass collection.

Time Range

Quarterly updates; specific start date unknown.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-08 02:12:14.540855; freshness should be verified.

Geography

British Columbia, Canada, specifically coastal aquaculture sites within defined fish health zones.