Accumulated mortality for Norwegian farmed salmon during the seawater phase reached 3.4% in the first quarter of 2026, slightly above the 3.3% recorded in the same period last year, according to new figures published by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
Total losses during the quarter were around 12.9 million fish. Of these, 10.9 million were reported as mortalities, 0.6 million as discarded fish and 1.4 million under the category “other”.
The figures are based on monthly reports submitted by salmon farmers to Norwegian authorities covering live and dead fish counts.
Production Areas 1 and 2, covering the stretch from the Swedish border to Ryfylke, recorded by far the highest mortality levels during the quarter. Accumulated mortality in the combined regions reached 13.3%, compared with 3.4% in the same period of 2025.
Authorities said the elevated losses were primarily linked to a bloom of the algae Pseudochattonella during March in Production Area 1, where nearly 1.7 million dead salmon were registered during the month.
Nationally, mortality levels remained significantly lower outside the affected southern regions.
Production Area 4, covering Nordhordaland to Stadt, recorded mortality of 5.0%, up from 3.9% a year earlier.
Several northern production areas reported improved biological performance compared with the first quarter of 2025. Production Areas 12 and 13 in Finnmark recorded combined mortality of 1.7%, down from 3.2% last year, while Production Area 11 fell from 6.1% to 1.3%.
Production Areas 5 and 6, covering parts of western and central Norway, both reported mortality of 2.1%, down from 3.7% and 3.6% respectively in the first quarter of 2025.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority noted that the 2026 figures may still be revised due to subsequent reporting adjustments.
According to official figures, annual mortality for Norwegian farmed salmon reached 14.2% in 2025.