The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is proposing changes to regulations concerning the use of cleaner fish in salmon farming, in response to high mortality rates.
SalMar will discontinue the production of cleaner fish at its Stjørdal facility by the second quarter of 2025, according to Ove Martin Grøntvedt, head of production at SalMar Settefisk, in a statement to Stjørdals-Nytt.
The company has decided to stop using cleaner fish in its marine operations, a practice that has been the subject of growing debate.
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“We are working on other activities at the facility, though we cannot provide further details at this time. It will likely involve aquaculture, but this depends on dialogue and approval from authorities. Our goal is to commence new activities as soon as possible,” Grøntvedt told the local paper.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is proposing changes to regulations concerning the use of cleaner fish in salmon farming, in response to high mortality rates.
Currently, cleaner fish, such as wrasse, are often left in salmon cages during de-licing treatments, despite not being affected by salmon lice. This practice is thought to have contributed to a mortality rate exceeding 60% between 2019 and 2021.
The Council for Animal Ethics has criticized current practices, stating that the annual consumption of millions of cleaner fish is neither ethically nor animal welfare compliant.
Grøntvedt added that employees at the Stjørdal hatchery will be offered positions at other company departments requiring additional workforce, pending confirmation of future operations at the Langstein site.
