All available oil spill measures are being taken by the Norwegian Armed Forces and Coastal Administration say salmon farmer.
A salmon farmer from Blom Fiskoppdrett said a huge preventative operation is afoot.
Blom Fiskoppdrett have a farms near to where a tanker loaded with oil on its way to the UK collided with the frigate KNM “Helge Ingstad”.
Blom said that they have received indications that there will be no oil spill, but if it were to be a worst case scenario, they will try to keep the oil out of the cages with their own equipment.
“If there is a discharge, and wind direction and currents could lead the oil in our direction, we have measures that can use to keep the oil out,” Blom says.
Seized
He says that all of the available oil sill prevention tools are seized and that if there is an oil spill.
“What can potentially happen to the fish is the oil can taste, it is not good at all. But as I said, it does not look like there is any danger that this will affect us,” he said.
Lerøy is not worried
Krister Hoaas, community contact in the Lerøy Seafood Group, said they have received the same information as Blom. Together with Marine Harvest, the three are the farmers who have the most facilities near the potential oil spill.
Hoaas said there is no reason to worry.
“The Coastal Administration reported that oil have been observed drifting north of the island of Øygarden and Fedjeosen, and that the discharge largely remains on the Øygard side. They said that the spills is very thin and evaporates and dissolves easily,” Hoaas said.
“Our nearest locations in Hjeltefjorden, where there are fish now, are more than 20 km south of the harbor and then on the Askøy side. We have locations 12 and 24 km respectively, but east, in another fjord, so far we have not seen it as necessary to do something, Hoaas said.
SalmonBusiness contacted Marine Harvest on this matter but they have not yet replied.
Norwegian authorities are still investigating and assesing the site.
