Norwegian salmon lice attacks starting to ease

Norway’s beleaguered salmon farmers are beginning to experience fewer problems from lice, thanks to the arrival of Arctic weather and new counter measures.

However, they are  still facing challenging  issues with jellyfish and there has been a  spate of at least seven bluefin tuna (mackerel sturgeon) attacks on nets in recent weeks to add to the industry’s problems.

Lice infestation increased markedly during the late summer, when seawater temperatures  were especially high around  the north of the country, an area not usually noted for lice issues.

The government  refused  to make any allowance for the  heatwave and told the industry it had to sort the problem itself, threatening financial penalties if numbers were not brought down.

The Norwegian organisation Barentswatch, which monitors such developments, says there has now been a decline in the number of lice-affected locations. The main reason is thought to be the arrival of sharply cold weather, a condition in which lice do not usually survive.

Salmon companies have also been spending a great deal of money on lice prevention measures which have helped to push back the problem.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has warned against any relaxation and has told companies not to drop their guard, adding that the measures they are taking will almost certainly need to continue.

A number of companies have also launched new lice counter-measure equipment in recent weeks.

The main problem is that no-one yet knows what next summer will bring in terms of sea warming.

So far, salmon farms in Iceland and the Faroe Islands have escaped similar lice attacks.