Up to 5,000 farmed salmon may have escaped from a site in Glenarm, County Antrim, according to Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).
The potential escape was caused by a rip in the net of a salmon cage, discovered on Sunday evening.
Daera confirmed it is assessing the situation and working with the salmon farming business, which has since repaired the cage. Divers are inspecting the remaining cages in both Glenarm and Red Bay.
Glenarm Organic Salmon is Northern Ireland’s only Atlantic salmon farm. The company is known for its premium organic salmon, which is certified by the Soil Association.
The Ulster Angling Federation has raised concerns about the escaped fish posing a threat to the wild salmon population. Federation chairman Gary Houston warned of the potential for interbreeding between farmed and wild salmon, which could reduce the fitness and survival rate of the offspring.
Houston also expressed concerns over the use of antibiotics and anti-sea lice chemicals on farmed salmon, claiming that the fish may not have completed the necessary withdrawal period before the escape, potentially making the fish unfit for consumption.
Glenarm Organic Salmon was unavailable for comment.
