And it doesn’t stop here.
“We don’t yet go out with information on the total number of fish, mainly for two reasons; all the farmers do not have the capacity and overview to state in numbers and the weight of the fish varies from 700 grams to 5.5 kilos,” reports the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries.
Salmon farms in parts of Northern Norway are hard hit by a toxic algae bloom.
It’s quiet in Troms. The farmers clean the cages and some have started feeding. Everyone is still prepared because the algae can bloom again.
The mortality in the inner Ofotfjord has stopped – naturally because there is almost no fish left. Mortality has now slowed down in central parts of the fjord. In outer parts there is great mortality.
The forecast still shows outgoing current from the Ofotfjord the coming day. The capacity of the grinding equipment is a challenge in Nordland.
The harvest boat «Norwegian Gannet» will arrive in the region during the evening. This boat can be harvesting directly as it moves from site to site.
The Coast Guard vessel “Heimdal” is now in Nordland after a meeting between Seafood Norway, the Directorate of Fisheries and the Coast Guard. The ship is equipped with a mobile lab so that samples can be taken on board. A sampling system with clear routines for information sharing has been created.
The Directorate of Fisheries and the Institute of Marine Research are in dialogue whether it is possible to predict something about possible algae blooms beyond the areas that are affected, among other things by means of satellite images and extended sampling.
The losses are so far divided into an estimated 4,800 tonnes in Nordland and 6,800 tonnes in Troms. In Nordland, the following companies are affected: Ballangen Sjøfarm, Ellingsen Seafood and Mortenlaks.
In Troms, these are affected: Sørrollnesfisk, Northern Lights Salmon, Kleiva Fiskefarm, Gratanglaks, Nordlaks and Salaks.
