Sea lice data to be made public

After a four-year battle an environmental organization has won access to data collected by the British Columbia government on sea lice infestations in salmon farms.

In a ruling released today the Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner of B.C. orders the release of information gathered during fish farm health audits.

The government had refused to release the data to the T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation, saying the information was provided in confidence and disclosure could harm the farms.

But responding to an application made by Ecojustice, the Information & Privacy Commissioner ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands to release the sea lice data.

Mainstream, one of the fish farming companies that objected to the release of the information, argued that if environmental groups "are in possession of information that would suggest or confirm the presence of pathogens and/or sea lice in any quantity, and particularly in significant quantities, it is clear that they would use this information to damage Mainstream's business."

Mainstream also argued critics could take the information out of context.

But the Information & Privacy Commissioner wasn't convinced by those arguments.

"Were this a basis for withholding records, one could easily envision very little information being disclosed by public bodies which are, in many cases, concerned how information might be used and viewed by members of the public. Possible misuse or distortion of material released under FIPPA [the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act]is not a basis for claiming an exception," the ruling states.

The government has 30 days to release the data.