The escaped farmed salmon are reported to be approximately 4-5 kilograms in size.
Norwegian salmon processor Hardanger Seafood has reported an escape incident at its Langevågen site, located south of Bømlo in Vestland, according to a statement released by the country’s Directorate of Fisheries on Thursday evening.
The site involved in the incident operates as a processing plant. The escaped farmed salmon are reported to be approximately 4-5 kilograms in size.
Over the past week, the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has received multiple reports from the public about catches of escaped farmed salmon in the vicinity of the incident.
In response to the escape, Hardanger Seafood has deployed recapture nets and has reported the capture of 38 escaped farmed salmon as of January 3.
The Directorate of Fisheries has stated it will continue to monitor the situation closely, including carrying out supervisory duties. They are also calling on the public to report any sightings or captures of escaped salmon to aid in the recapture efforts and to better assess the incident’s impact on the local marine environment.
Hardanger Seafood harvests, processes and packs salmon at its Langevåg facility in Bømlo municipality, Norway. The plant, based in the the former Espevær Laks facility, was completed in New Year 2023. It has a production capacity of around 200 tonnes per shift – or 40,000 tons a year. Hardanger Seafood is owned by five farming companies: Lingalaks, Tombre Fiskeanlegg, Eidesvik Laks, Fylkesnes Fisk and SalMar.
