MOWI REPORTS LOSS OF 27,000 SALMON

Mowi reports loss of 27,000 salmon. Approximately 27,000 farmed salmon have escaped from one of Mowi’s farms off the coast of Norway, prompting the company to offer a reward for their recapture. Environmentalists have expressed concerns, calling the incident a “disaster for wild salmon,” as reported by The Guardian.

Mowi, the world’s largest salmon producer, is offering a reward of around $44.65 for each escaped fish caught. The company explained that the fish—about one-quarter of its 105,000-strong farmed salmon population—escaped during a storm at the Storvika V, facility in Troms county, northern, Norway.

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries was on-site to manage the incident. They urged the public to report any sightings of farmed salmon in the area. “We would like to receive tips from the public regarding any farmed salmon caught or observed nearby,” the Directorate said, according to Fish Farmer.

The escape occurred after a severe storm damaged the outer ring of the salmon cage, and a mooring was reportedly set on fire. The escaped fish, which average 12.1 pounds in weight, were part of the farm’s population, according to the Fisheries Directorate.

In response, Norwegian authorities issued new directives for expanding recapture efforts. “Normally, fish farmers can only conduct recapture operations within a 500-metre radius of the facility in case of an escape. However, due to the scale of this incident, Mowi was instructed to extend the recapture efforts beyond this zone,” said Vegard Oen Hatten, spokesperson for the Directorate of Fisheries, as reported by The Guardian.

Environmentalists are alarmed by the potential impact of the escaped salmon on wild populations. These include risks such as reduced genetic diversity, increased competition for spawning sites, and higher rates of sea lice infections.

“27,000 farmed salmon on the loose is a disaster for wild salmon,” said Pål Mugaas, spokesperson for Norske Lakseelver (Norwegian Salmon Rivers). “Science has shown that interbreeding between wild and farmed salmon leads to offspring with a low survival rate in nature.”

Norway’s salmon industry faces additional challenges, with wild salmon numbers reaching a historic low in 2024, prompting the closure of salmon fishing in 33 rivers. This summer, three fjords and 42 rivers have also been submitted for closure.

Farmed salmon have been identified as a significant threat to wild salmon, with two-thirds of Norway’s wild Atlantic salmon stocks showing signs of genetic contamination from escaped farmed fish. Investigative reporter Simen Saetre pointed out the effects of this interbreeding: “Farmed salmon are bred to be fat and slow for industry purposes. When they mate with wild salmon, they make the wild fish slower and fatter, making them easier targets for predators.”

Despite these concerns, Norwegian Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen recently ruled out banning open-net fish farming. He acknowledged the “existential threat” to wild North Atlantic salmon but emphasised the government’s goal of finding an “acceptable” level of pollution for wild salmon, according to The Guardian.

Mowi has called the situation “serious” and thanked those involved in the recapture efforts, including the Coast Guard Ship Svalbard and other participating organisations. Mowi encourages registered fishers to deliver the recaptured salmon to designated “reception centres” in exchange for the reward.

Photo by Artem Galychyi on Unsplash