– This contributes to putting the entire industry in the corner of shame. Now we in the industry have to clean up, says CEO of Seafood Companies, Robert Holmøy Eriksson to news. The management of the Seafood Companies, which organizes 270 privately-owned companies throughout the fishing industry, are upset by the images of the mass death in the cages of the farming giant Lerøy Seafood Group that news has shown. The mass death has affected several facilities of the listed fishery company this autumn. The images of sick and dead fish have sent shock waves into the industry, says Eriksson. In recent days, the organization has received many inquiries from employees and managers in fishing companies who are upset about what they have seen in news’s reports. – The feedback is crystal clear. People are frustrated, disappointed and shaken by news’s reports. What you in news have shown are nightmare images. Such incidents help to throw the entire industry under the bus and tear down our reputation, says Eriksson. The farming industry is one of the country’s most important industries and a major export industry. Negative news can affect consumers and contribute to lower sales both in Norway and on the export market. OUTRAGED: Member companies in the Seafood Companies are upset and shaken by the images of mass death at Lerøy. – Unacceptable The seafood companies are reacting to the way Lerøy Seafood has handled the mass death at its facilities. – When thousands of fish are left dead or dying at the bottom of cages, as news has revealed, it is unacceptable. In short, this does not measure up. We as an industry will not be familiar with such incidents, says Robert Holmøy Eriksson. He emphasizes that accidents and unforeseen events can affect everyone in the industry and that this can have fatal consequences. But that if this happens, the authorities must be notified immediately in the event of major incidents. – It is unacceptable that you do not notify immediately when you discover abnormally high mortality. There is no excuse for such an operation as we have been presented with through several cases this autumn, he points out. Lerøy: – Takes fish welfare very seriously WILL CLEAN UP: Robert Holmøy Eriksson in Seafood Companies is shocked by events in the industry and wants to clean up. Photo: Seafood companies Lerøy Seafood reacts to what Seafood companies say: – We repeat what we have said before: We take fish welfare very seriously and look seriously at the situation we have had at some of our locations, says executive director Bjarne Reinert to news. Reinert emphasizes that Lerøy is actively working on measures to improve operations and fish welfare. – We work purposefully with a number of measures in both biology and technology to improve fish welfare and increase survival. We comply with the legal requirements imposed on us. Otherwise, we strongly distance ourselves from Eriksson’s descriptions of the industry, says Reinert. news has previously told the Norwegian Food Safety Authority that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority believes salmon that died by itself was on its way to the slaughterhouse at Lerøy’s plant. Lerøy’s management denies that this is the case. On Wednesday this week, news revealed that Lerøy Seafood Group waited to notify of mass death at its facilities for up to 1-2 weeks. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority believes that such mass deaths must be notified immediately when they are discovered by the employees. – 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. INTRODUCES MEASURES. Executive director Bjarne Reinert in Lerøy Seafood Group emphasizes that the company has a focus on fish welfare and that they are working on measures. Photo: Oskar Rennedal / news Executive director Bjarte Reinert of Lerøy Seafood Group does not agree with this. – The regulations do not define absolute threshold values for when mortality must be reported. Only subjective criteria, emphasizes Reinert. Disagree with Lerøy’s interpretation Eriksson in Seafood Companies believes the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s interpretation of immediate notification is the right one, and he also does not agree with Lerøy’s interpretation of the regulations. – Something in the operation here must have gone wrong, I don’t know what, he says. – Has the focus on profitability and large-scale operations become too dominant in the industry, and does this lead to poorer fish welfare? – No, I am not qualified to say that. I think it’s fundamentally about good and proper operations, and that the management of the companies must be close to what is happening on the edge of the cage. The cases that news has highlighted show that we have a potential for improvement. – Should the authorities impose larger fines than has been the case until now? – Sanctions will always have a preventive effect, and you will be able to punish those who have sinned. But we do not believe in collective punishment. Risk of infection Several of Lerøy Seafood’s facilities have been affected by many diseases among the farmed salmon. Disease in the gills has caused the salmon to have breathing problems and probably suffocated. In addition, they have had parasites and heart disease. Several researchers in fish health point out that dead fish must not be left in the cages for long. This entails a great risk of infection for other fish. The seafood companies share this view. – We know that if the fish is left lying around for a long time, it can help to spread infection in the bodies of water. In general, it is therefore irresponsible not to remove fish and report immediately. It’s that simple, it can’t be explained away, emphasizes Eriksson. Politicians from, among others, MDG, Rødt and SV have reacted to news’s cases. SV has asked the fisheries minister to come to the Storting and explain what the government will do to clean up the industry. – Must endure unannounced inspections The management of the seafood companies believes that it is time for the industry to openly discuss the problems that the farming companies have. – Only the industry can solve these problems in this area. Sitting quietly in the boat and hoping that things will go away on their own will not solve the problems in any case, says Eriksson. – What is needed is hard work over time, where you work together to improve so that you avoid such incidents, says Eriksson. In the past, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has depended on transport with the farming companies to get to the cages. Now they use the Coastal Vessels’ boats and come for inspections completely unannounced. Lerøy Seafood Group and Mowi want the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to give notice before carrying out unannounced checks on the farms. Seafood companies do not agree with this. – As an industry, we have to tolerate unannounced inspections. If everything is in order, you have nothing to fear either, says Eriksson. Eriksson emphasizes that the cases that news has recently had are not the norm in the industry, and that the vast majority have things in order. – But the point is that it does not help those who have things in order when such incidents happen. It destroys and breaks down confidence in the entire industry, emphasizes the director of Seafood Companies.
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Seafood companies shaken by news’s revelations about mass dead salmon – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
