The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has notified Grieg Seafood of the possible killing of all fish in eight cages in Finnmark. In addition, several of the company’s facilities where fish are infected are monitored. The reason is high mortality and poor welfare of the salmon after they have been infected by a parasitic disease. – We assume that the parasite that causes the disease spironucleosis has entered our hatchery via the water intake for a limited period of time between the autumn of 2021 and the spring of 2023, says Roger Pedersen, who is communications advisor at Grieg Seafood Finnmark. Altogether, there are approximately one million salmon in eight cages at the breeding facilities Laholmen and Vedbotn in Nordkapp municipality. All must probably be euthanized. The farming company will not say what economic consequences the killing of the fish will have for them, but states in a stock exchange announcement that the fish has an average weight of 700 grams. This year, the highest price has been around NOK 110 for a kilo of farmed salmon, while today it is NOK 72.88. This means that the company will have to kill salmon to the value of just over NOK 50 million. – Fish in individual cages with a large impact must be killed during the next month and a half, confirms Pedersen in the breeding company. Grieg Seafood’s facility in Vedbotn in Nordkapp municipality. The parasite was detected in four of the cages here after employees at the facility registered that something was not right, where samples and laboratory analyzes were then taken. Photo: Press image / Grieg Seafood Gives boils and sores Last year, 54 million fish died in the breeding cages along the coast. This is 15.5 percent of all farmed fish in Norway. It was due to a number of different diseases. Another important reason was harsh treatment against salmon lice, which stresses the fish and makes them susceptible to disease. According to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, this time it is about the rare parasitic disease systemic spironucleosis, about which little is known at present – but which is harmless to humans. The parasite spreads to all parts of the fish’s body, muscles, internal organs and skin. The fish also get boils and sores from the disease. Mortality can be high, and according to the inspectorate, there is no known treatment. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has followed the development of the disease in the fish at the two plants in recent months. Based on previous experience, they expect that the condition of the fish will not improve. That is why the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has announced a decision on culling. Siv June Hansen, who is head of department at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority in Finnmark, sees with great concern that there are many sick fish in the cages in Nordkapp municipality. Photo: Allan Klo / news – There is still a high mortality rate and a lot of sick fish, and especially in the cages that we have notified that we are considering ordering culling. That’s what Siv June Hansen says, who is head of department at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority in Finnmark. Because there is no possible treatment for the parasitic disease, and because sick fish remain in the cages for a long time, according to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, it is very likely that they will have to be killed. – It’s bad fish welfare when there are a lot of sick fish out in the facility, and it doesn’t seem like the situation is improving, says Hansen. Grieg Seafood Finnmark has until 25 October to appeal the decision. Parasite detected in several facilities Grieg Seafood farms Atlantic salmon in Finnmark, Rogaland and Canada. The disease has been found in salmon at one hatchery and seven food fish farms in Finnmark. All belong to Grieg Seafood. This applies to the locations: Adamselv Mårsanjarga Bergsnes Davatluft Stangnes Kleppenes Laholmen Vedbotn – The fact that we have had detections at very many facilities in Finnmark this year is worrying, says Hansen of the Food Safety Authority. They were notified of the first case in March 2022. Since then, they have followed up the facilities and carried out several inspections. Roger Pedersen is a communications advisor at Grieg Seafood Finnmark. He says that most of the fish in the other facilities have no signs of illness and that there are no signs of being affected by the parasite either. Photo: Trine Vidunsdatter / news The farming company says they also monitor the status of the fish in the other facilities. – We have taken measures on some of the cages where we have seen an impact, where we have seen a good effect of the measures with reduced mortality, improved fish welfare and stable biology, says Pedersen in Grieg Seafood. – If the condition is too bad in individual cages, we have to kill the fish here for reasons of fish welfare. We are monitoring the situation very carefully, adds Pedersen. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority will continuously assess whether measures must also be taken at the other farms. The disease that the fish has is caused by the parasite Spironucleus salmonicida. It is a rare parasitic disease in farmed fish. The picture is from Grieg Seafoods’ salmon slaughterhouse at Simanes outside Alta. Photo: Robin Mortensen – I have not heard from Grieg The parasite was previously detected in facilities in Troms and Finnmark in the 80s. Then all plants had received smolt from the same hatchery. There was also an outbreak in 2001 in Alta, as well as in Vesterålen in 2002. – This may indicate that the parasite has not been very contagious between the facilities. The fact that the parasite has been in facilities in Nordkapp municipality for several months worries the municipal management. – It sounds very serious, both for the company and for life in the sea. We are very concerned about animal welfare, both inside and outside the cages. That’s what the mayor of Nordkapp municipality, Trudy Engen (SV), says. – But this was news to me, so I expect to receive information eventually from Grieg. Because I can’t see that I have heard anything from them, says Engen.
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Grieg Seafood may have to kill a million farmed salmon after an attack by the spironucleosis parasite – news Troms and Finnmark
