The case in summary: Sick salmon with the condition “Red skin disease” have been observed in the Enningsdalselva in Halden since 2019. The Norwegian Hunter and Fishermen’s Association is calling for more research into the disease. There is concern that the disease may spread to other waterways in Norway, and there have also been reports of the disease from other Northern European countries. The Storting representative for Høgre, Ingjerd Schou, asks how the government will ensure monitoring and follow-up from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. The cause of the disease is unknown, and no single infectious agent has been identified that can explain the changes in the disease. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Cecilie Myrseth (Ap) has replied that a separate monitoring program for “Red skin disease” has not been initiated, but that general biosecurity measures are recommended. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – They are looking forward to the season. Perhaps most dread it, I think. Because they probably expect that there are not pleasant things that meet them, says Ole-Håkon Heier. He is regional secretary of the Norwegian Hunters and Fishers Association (NJFF) Østfold, and is himself a keen fisherman. Salmon fishing is the highlight of the year for many anglers. But in recent years fishing has been marked by despair in Østfold. In 2019, sick fish appeared for the first time in the Enningsdalselva in Halden. The salmon had bleeding in the skin and reduced consciousness. Since then, sick individuals have appeared almost annually. The fishermen are trying to remove the sick individuals from the river last summer. Photo: Tomas Berger/news – We fear for the population in the river. This is not a big enough river and it is the largest individuals that get hit. We don’t know how many seasons it will be before there are hardly any salmon coming up, says Heier. Now they also fear further spread to other salmon rivers in the country. Can’t find the cause The condition has been named Red skin disease. But no one has been able to find out why the wild salmon get sick or what the condition is. – We fear further spread. It is incredibly important that this does not happen, as the salmon is a species we have a special responsibility to take care of in this country, says Heier. Ole-Håkon Heier is a keen angler and regional manager of NJFF in Østfold. Photo: LENE SØRLIE HEIER Similar individual cases have already been reported from other waterways in the country. Among others in Sandvika, Bjerkreim and Tovdal. There have also been reports of cases of the disease in other northern European countries. Now NJFF is asking for more research. – It is quite obvious that this is what we need, because we do not know how long this is bounded to the Enningsdalselva. Ask the government to follow up – It looks bad. These are fish that rot alive, says Ingjerd Schou. The Storting representative for Høgre is concerned about the suffering the wild salmon are being subjected to. She says that today there is no system for monitoring the condition. Sick salmon have also been detected in Tovdalselva, a salmon river in Southern Norway. Photo: Steffen Bergstøl In a written question to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, she asks how the government will ensure monitoring and follow-up from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, and how the government will ensure that funds are set aside for research. – The worry is that it could spread to other waterways – and in the worst case, this could also spread to cages and farmed salmon, says Schou. Storting politician for Høgre Ingjerd Schou fears the disease could spread to farmed salmon. Photo: Cathérine Monfils / Council of Europe The Ministry of Trade and Fisheries has not responded to news’s questions about the matter, but Fisheries and Oceans Minister Cecilie Myrseth (Ap) has responded to Schou’s question in writing: – The cause of the disease is unknown and many factors can affect wildlife salmon migrating outside the Enningsdalselva. This makes monitoring and mapping the disease difficult. A separate monitoring program for “Red skin disease” has therefore not been initiated, but general biosecurity measures are recommended. Measures include that the Veterinary Institute must be notified if a sick fish is found. Thinks that not enough is being done The regional secretary of the Norwegian Hunters and Fishermen’s Association in Østfold believes that not enough is being done to overcome the problem. This salmon was caught in the Enningsdalselva in 2019. Photo: AJFF Halden – There is no concerted effort to find a solution to this problem. It is not coordinated. There are some researchers from various agencies who study a bit in their fields, and who scrape together some money from here and there, says Heier. – But there should be a coordinated joint effort from the government with a focus on finding the cause and solution.
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Fears the spread of the salmon disease red skin disease – news Østfold – Local news, TV and radio
