– Given the scandals that have been unearthed by the Norwegian press, we believe that the minister should come to the Storting on his own and explain what the government is going to do to save the industry’s reputation and get a system that works, says SV deputy leader Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes. Deputy leader of SV, Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news news revealed on Wednesday that this autumn there has been a mass death of salmon at several facilities belonging to the salmon giant Lerøy Seafood Group. – In all keeping of animals for food production, health and welfare are part of the challenges. Unfortunately, this autumn we have had challenges with gill health at several of our locations. We work every single day to ensure that as many fish as possible survive, says Bjarne Reinert, Executive Director of Lerøy Seafood to news. Bjarne Reinert, CEO of Lerøy Seafood. Photo: Oskar Rennedal / Oskar Rennedal The question is whether Lerøy reported fish deaths early enough. “Incomplete” The Norwegian Food Safety Authority was not satisfied with the reporting from the cages at Reitholmen. – The message from Reitholmen was categorized as “incomplete” due to missing information. Without knowing the number of dead fish, it is difficult to say anything about the extent of the incident, writes the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s press officer to news. Lerøy believes they follow guidelines for when they report to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. The minister: – Not the way we should have it Fisheries and Oceans Minister Cecilie Myrseth says she is concerned with ensuring the best possible animal welfare. – We are working on a new report to the Storting, in which we increase the focus on fish health and look at how we can in the future give farmed fish a better life, says Myrseth to news. She says the images of lots of dead fish are strong food. – This is not how we should have it, and this shows the importance of strict requirements, control and unannounced inspections. The breeders have a responsibility for good fish welfare. It is also in their interest. Unenig Lerøy Seafood is one of the world’s largest farming companies. news has revealed that this autumn there has been a mass death of salmon at several of their facilities. Disease in the gills has caused the salmon to have breathing problems and probably suffocated. In addition, they have had parasites and heart disease. Dead fish in the sea surface at the Lerøy plant in Hitra. Photo: Norwegian Food Safety Authority Farmed fish is one of Norway’s most valuable exports. High mortality is serious because it can mean a risk of infection for other fish and must therefore be notified to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority immediately. Lerøy waited to notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. – If there has been an increase in mortality for a whole week without it being notified, then there is a breach of the rules, says regional director Steinar Westerberg of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, who gives a general opinion on how notification should take place. Executive director of Lerøy, Bjarte Reinert, does not agree with this. – The regulations do not define absolute threshold values for when mortality must be reported. Only subjective criteria, says Reinert. This is what the regulations on increased mortality say. Regulations on aquaculture define increased mortality as “higher than normal”: Breeders and slaughterhouses have a duty to notify. Dead fish must be removed at least once a day. Mortality must be recorded daily. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s guide to regulations says: Increased mortality must be reported immediately. The report must contain the number of dead fish. By “immediately” is meant at once All incidents that negatively affect fish welfare must be notified immediately. Lerøy’s executive director says their threshold for reporting is based on the mortality rate. But they will not tell news how much death there must be before they notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Several politicians react It is not just SV that has reacted to the case published by news. MDG and Nature and Youth believe that stricter requirements should be placed on the farming industry. MDG’s Rasmus Hansson calls for lice requirements and welfare requirements that enforce emission-free facilities. Rasmus Hansson from MDG. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news – The technology and knowledge exist. What is missing is for the fisheries minister and enough business politicians to take responsibility, he says in an e-mail to news. He emphasizes that this has been a known problem for a long time, and that politicians must now act. Nature and Youth also think so. – That the farming industry is an industry with enormous problems is proven again and again, says Johanna Haukanes Leivestad, central board member of Nature and Youth in an e-mail to news. – We have known about these problems for a long time, but the politicians have systematically failed to take control, and given the industry free rein, she writes. Call it a state of emergency The pictures from the cages at Lerøy make an impression, says director of aquaculture at Sjømat Norge, Jon Are Grøttum. – And it must make an impression, because this must be a state of emergency. We see it as a state of emergency, says Grøttum. While 58 million dead fish sounds like a lot, he says that the mortality rate in the industry is 16 per cent. It is not very much higher than other animal production, according to Grøttem. – What I think is important to do is to prevent infection from entering the facilities. The industry has been working there for over a year now to look at measures that can reduce the spread of infection. He says that the diseases do not make the fish dangerous to eat, and points out that the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research tests 14,000 fish a year without finding any signs that the fish are inedible. – The Norwegian Food Safety Authority can also vouch for the fish, says Grøttem.
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Requests the fisheries minister to explain after extensive salmon deaths – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
