15,000 fish escape at Lerøy site

Lerøy said: “Nets were deployed to reduce potential consequences, and a dialogue has been established with relevant authorities and stakeholders, including the Directorate of Fisheries. The company’s focus now is to handle the situation responsibly and effectively.”

General Manager of Lerøy Midt, Harald Larssen added: “We take such net damage seriously, and deeply regret that this has happened.

“We feel a great responsibility towards the environment and our surroundings, and we do everything we can to limit the consequences. We also have a zero escape vision.”

Lerøy Midt said that PD (pancreas disease) and Moritella (the organism that causes winter ulcer disease) have previously been detected in the fish. But the company stressed that their health condition is generally good, and that the fish are safe to eat. The fish have been counted and moved to a new net. 

After counting, Lerøy Midt estimates the number missing to be around 15,000 fish, weighing around 1.5 kg.

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries said it will follow up the incident with supervision, according to normal procedures which will include an inspection of the damaged net. It is also urging the public to catch any escape fish, where possible.

Lerøy says it is cooperating closely with the authorities and will implement necessary measures based on what it has learned from this incident.