Cod farmer hit by mystery loss

The Norwegian cod farming company Statt Torsk has suffered the sudden loss of more than 48,000 fish during the past week.

The cause is still unexplained and a full report has been sent to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority which is expected to carry out an investigation. Samples have been taken and the results should be back sometime this week.

In biomass terms the loss is the equivalent of just over 100 tonnes and represents about 24% of fish on the site. The financial impact is still being assessed.

However, the incident is not expected to affect the company’s growth or development plans. Statt Torsk has said it is still trying to find out the cause, although it thinks external factors may have been at play.

The loss was confined to two out of three cages on the site. It is understood the third cage was not affected.

Based on Stad,  a peninsula that juts out into the sea in the Vestland region of Norway, Statt Torsk (also known as Stadt Torsk) is one of an small but gradually increasing number of cod farming businesses.

The name Stad or Stadt comes from an old Norse term which means “that which stands”

It says the seas in the area can be some of the roughest along the Norwegian coast.

The company states: “In spite of, or perhaps because of, the rough conditions, the area around Stad is ideal for cod farming. The optimal currents, clean water and low sea temperatures make the fjords perfect for our cod.”