Mowi cites climate change in latest salmon die-off on Newfoundland’s south coast.
Mowi Canada East has reported a further large-scale salmon mortality event in Newfoundland, attributing the losses to sea lice infestations worsened by rising water temperatures and changing weather patterns.
The company said 166,262 salmon have died across two farming operations near Chaleur Bay on the province’s south coast. In a statement posted to social media on Thursday, Mowi described the cause as “repeated sea lice infestations” brought on by prolonged periods of high surface temperatures, low rainfall and limited freshwater runoff into fjords, alongside stagnant surface conditions that allow lice to thrive.
“It is an unfortunate fact that all livestock farmers will encounter and must manage challenges resulting in the mortality of stock from time to time,” the company said, adding that “all farmers (terrestrial or water) are continuing to see the effects of climate change on their livelihood.”
The incident is the latest in a series of die-offs affecting Mowi’s Canadian operations. In late August, the company reported 621,000 fish deaths at three marine sites near Harbour Breton following a thermocline inversion, where colder, oxygen-poor water rose to the surface. In July, a separate event at Little Burdock Cove near Rencontre East was attributed to high water temperatures and low oxygen levels.
Mowi said the latest mortality developed over several weeks while fish were being treated for sea lice using Health Canada-approved products. The company noted that sea lice pose no risk to human health or food safety and that all incidents have been reported to provincial authorities.
