Norway’s salmon giants facing welfare crackdown

Norway’s “big six” fish farming companies are set to come under close scrutiny from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority next year. Particular attention will be paid as to how well they handle fish welfare and health issues. It is hoped the move will lead to more effective welfare measures. The companies have not been named,…

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PD spreading in northern Norway, tests show

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has reported that another case of pancreatic disease (PD) has been detected at a fish farm in the north of the country. The facility is operated by salmon farmer Nova Sea, which has been told that it will have to empty the facility quickly in order to reduce the risk…

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Mowi Scotland revenues up, but profits down

Mowi Scotland has reported a 3.74% rise in turnover to £443.3m last year – but it also saw a large drop in profits. The latest accounts for the Scottish arm of the world’s largest farmed salmon producer for 2022 have just been published. The operating profit was £27m against £54m in 2021 and the profit…

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SAIC set to fund seven more aquaculture projects

The Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) is supporting further research into fish health and wellbeing initiatives in 2024, with seven successful projects set to benefit from its most recent funding call. With a combined total value of more than £860,000, the funded research and development (R&D) projects have secured over £300,000 from SAIC with additional…

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Pump error toll was worse than first feared

Salmon producer SalMar has admitted that it lost around 200,000 small fish in a “mechanical incident” at its Jovika site on the island of Senja, near Tromsø, Norway recently. The fish weighed around seven grams. The loss is thought to be considerably higher than the initial estimate, when the incident was first discovered. In a…

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Anti-ageing supplement ‘could help salmon’

A diet supplement already consumed by humans for its anti-ageing benefits could be used to help salmon digest feed and improve their natural disease resistance, with feed trials kicking off next month. A team of aquaculture and veterinary experts are looking at the impact of adding spermidine – a compound found in vegetables, cereals and…

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SalMar loses salmon in jellyfish attack

Around a million young salmon have been lost at a SalMar site in Senja, Norway during a jellyfish incident, it has been disclosed. SalMar said in a statement last night that in mid-November its fish farmers at the location Ørnfjordbotn in Senja observed a significant and threatening influx of (what are known in Norway as)…

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Producers must do better, says welfare group

Animal welfare campaign group Compassion in World Farming has published a “scorecard” rating the major salmon farmers on their performance – and it argues there is still “a long way to go”. The Scorecard has evaluated the public policies of eight salmon producers, representing more than 50% of worldwide salmon production, in terms of their…

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Pancreatic disease reported at Mowi farms

Pancreatic disease has been detected at two Mowi salmon sites in the north of Norway, and confirmed by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Mowi will be required to empty the facilities quickly in order to avoid a spread of the infection. Pancreatic disease (PD) is regarded as a highly contagious disease that leads to poor…

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Salmon industry must clean up its act – Norway Minister

Cecilie Myrseth, Norway’s new Fisheries Minister, has told the salmon industry that it must do much better to ensure fish welfare. The sector has been rocked by a series of incidents in recent weeks involving mortalities and issues over the export of damaged fish. The minister made her comments after a meeting with the employer…

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