Second accident in a week. Numbers from first accident have doubled.Salmon farmer says it was because of “rough sea conditions at the site immediately post transfer”.
On Monday, SalmonBusiness reported that Northern Harvest, the Mowi (Mowi Canada East) subsidiary which farms salmon in Atlantic Canada, informed authorities that “higher than normal mortalities” were observed among lumpfish being transported aboard a well boat.
The salmon farmer wrote that 8,000 lump fish mortalities occurred onboard the vessel from a total of 38,000 fish that were destined for a site in Little Bay, located on the south coast of Newfoundland. Now in a new statement, that number has been updated to 15,800 mortalities, which is 42 percent of the lumpfish that were transported on the vessel.
Mowi Canada East also reported a second incident involving lumpfish that being transported to a site off the southern coast of Newfoundland called Steamers Head.
Approximately 12,300 lumpfish mortalities occurred, which accounts for approximately 19 percent of the total 65,700 lumpfish transferred to that site.
“These were non-disease related mortalities that occurred at site during the transfer of the lumpfish. The abnormal mortalities were the result of rough sea conditions at the site immediately post transfer. Two other sites were supplied with lumpfish during the same supply trip without issue,” Mowi wrote.
“Marine Harvest Atlantic Canada has taken all responsible steps under the oversight of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Fisheries and Land Resources, and is following government policies in this matter,” wrote Mowi Canada East Director of Communications Jason Card in a statement.
