Bias in self-reported parasite data from the salmon farming industry.

摘要: Many industries are required to monitor themselves in meeting regulatory policies intended protect the environment. Self-reporting of environmental performance can place cost monitoring on companies rather than taxpayers, but there obvious risks bias, often addressed through external audits or inspections. Surprisingly, have been relatively few empirical analyses bias industry self-reported data. Here, we test for reporting compliance data using a unique set from Canadian salmon farms, where number parasitic sea lice fish open pens, order minimize impacts wild surrounding waters. We fit hierarchical population-dynamics model these sea-louse count Bayesian approach. found that industry's monthly counts two species, Caligus clemensi and Lepeophtheirus salmonis, increased by factor 1.95 (95% credible interval: 1.57, 2.42) 1.18 (1.06, 1.31), respectively, months when were audited federal fisheries department. Consequently, less likely trigger costly mandated delousing treatments avoid epidemics juvenile salmon. These results highlight potential combining with their maintain regulations, achieve conservation goals, build public confidence process.