Faroe Islands

Faroese company loses salmon population due to toxic algae infestation

Hygiene & Biosecurity

750,000 fish were found dead, in just a couple of hours, in the sea cages where they were transferred during the summer months.

Posted on Sep 25 ,10:32

Aquaculture company Bakkafrost reported an elevated mortality level at one of its farming sites in the Faroe Islands. Nearly 750,000 fish with an average live weight of 500 grams died within a couple of hours on 20 September, reports Seafood Source magazine.
"It has not been possible to confirm the cause of the incident, but algae phaeocystis, pseudo-nitzscia and heterosigma were registered in the sea at farming site A-81 Kolbanagjógv on 20 September 2018, and the algae are suspected to have caused the mortality incident.
It has also been confirmed that prior to and while the incident occurred, manure has been sprayed as fertilizer onto the infield only 200 meters from the farming site A-81 Kolbanagjógv. Continuous examinations are being done to confirm the cause of the sudden and short mortality incident," said the company in a statement.
This is the first incident of this kind reported in 30 years at A-81 Kolbanagjógv salmon farming site and no other similar incident has been reported recently in the area. The fish were moved into the cages during the summer season, between June and August. All the dead fish have been removed in the last 4 days, reported the company.

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