– I am the fish’s GP, a completely normal part of the job is to examine self-dead fish in the cages. I do that every time I’m out on site. My task is to find out why the fish die, says fish health biologist Mattias Bendiksen Lind. The work attire is rubber boots, helmet and coveralls. The workplace is out at sea, in the cages where the farmed fish live. He works in a consulting company that is commissioned by the farming companies. At the merdekant, he checks whether the fish are doing well. One way to find out is to feed the fish, then you can see if it splashes and takes the feed. Another way is to study the fish’s behavior in an underwater camera. The aim of the visit is to make a condition assessment of the fish’s health. The fish health biologist’s job is to find out why the fish die, and to give the farming companies guidance when disease and poor welfare occur. Too high a mortality rate – There are far too many dead fish in the farming industry, and animal welfare cannot be adequately looked after. And many of us fish health biologists struggle with this, says Bendiksen Lind. In recent months, news has had several cases about mass deaths of salmon, discoveries of self-dead salmon and major problems with lice and diseases. MORTALITY: High mortality in the farming industry must not pay off, says president Elisabet Haugsbø of Tekna. Photo: Anne Cecilie Remen / news Around 17 percent of the salmon in the cages die of disease and have major health problems before they die. Many facilities have even higher death tolls. Tough lice treatment is often the cause of high mortality. Read also: One in six fish in farms dies. The Tekna trade union, which organizes master’s degree fish health biologists, believes that stricter rules are necessary for the industry. – Mortality must come down, we believe that five percent is a level that most farming companies will manage. Many already achieve it, so those with a high mortality simply have to make an effort, says Tekna president Elisabet Haugsbø. Punitive measures Tekna believes the authorities must introduce measures that penalize companies with high mortality. – It must not pay off with high fish mortality, says Haugsbø. The authorities can punish farming companies by limiting opportunities for growth. – Companies with high mortality rates should have their production reduced, says Haugsbø. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Cecilie Myrseth (Ap) will not comment on whether a five percent requirement will be a measure in the government’s forthcoming Animal Welfare Report. – It is too early to say. We are going through proposals for measures, and we will return to this when we present the parliamentary report on animal welfare before the summer. The mortality rate in the farming industry is far too high and it must decrease, says Myrseth. Sjømat Norge says that the member companies have not discussed the possibility of common rules for mortality in the aquaculture industry, but emphasizes that they are concerned that mortality must decrease. Burned out colleagues Tekna, in collaboration with news, has carried out a survey among the professional organisation’s fish health biologists. The survey shows that many fish health biologists are struggling. They are burnt out and find that their professional advice to the clients, the farming companies, is often not heeded. The fish health biologists experience high work pressure, and that they are responsible for tough lice treatments that are carried out across their council. The survey shows that fish health biologists are often afraid to speak up if they see violations of good animal welfare, for fear of losing their job or missing out on future assignments. MEASURES: Fisheries and Oceans Minister Cecilie Myrseth (Ap) believes the mortality rate in the farming industry is too high, but promises measures. Photo: Håkon Lie / news – The clients listen to our advice on fish health and de-lice, but many of us fish health biologists still experience that the farming companies do not follow the advice. It is experienced as very frustrating, and many are very tired, says Bendiksen Lind. A worrying 88 per cent of fish health biologists say they have been burnt out or had physical ailments at work. 59 percent say they are considering quitting. – It is disturbing that professionals feel that their professional advice is tested or verified when it comes to measures for better treatment of lice and to reduce mortality, says Haugsbø. The Minister of Fisheries is concerned about what she hears about the investigation. – It is sad to hear that so many people experience the situation like this, the industry is completely dependent on skilled professionals who give good advice and input, and who help ensure knowledge for better fish health, says Myrseth. Seafood Norway comments on the survey as follows: – It is worrying that a proportion of fish health biologists feel overworked. This can lead to the breeders not receiving good enough professional advice when they have to assess the treatment of the fish. We believe it is necessary to train more people with specialist expertise in fish health, says communications manager Henrik Wiedswang Horjen.
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– It must not be profitable to deal with poor fish health and high mortality – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
