A marine biologist and vocal opponent of fish farming has produced a short film about how the practice impacts wild salmon populations swimming in B.C. waters.

“Salmon farming came to Canada from Norway in 1986,’ Alexandra Morton begins in the six-minute documentary. “Now 30 years later, over 100 Atlantic salmon farms are sited on the coast of British Columbia, and we find our wild salmon are in collapse.”

The film, titled Racing a Virus, discusses piscine riovirus (PRV), its migration from Norway to B.C., how PRV spreads via fish farms, and the effects that the disease is having on B.C.’s wild salmon populations. There are also claims of a government cover up, and a call for B.C. Premier John Horgan to take a position against fish farms.

“The inherent problem with crowding millions of animals into feedlots is that diseases flourish,” Morton says. “Since only nets separate millions of farmed-Atlantic salmon from wild salmon, diseases are flowing freely into the wild salmon migration routes.”

The film lists its producer as the Department of Wild Salmon, an organization headed by Morton that focuses on research and advocacy work related to B.C. salmon populations and the effects of fish farming.