Norwegian regulator to inspect smolt transfers in escape prevention drive.
The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has announced a new inspection campaign targeting both land-based and sea-based aquaculture facilities as part of efforts to reduce fish escapes during smolt transfers.
The inspections will focus particularly on whether net mesh sizes are correctly matched to fish size when smolts are transferred from hatcheries and post-smolt facilities into sea cages.
The initiative, announced last week, forms part of the regulator’s ongoing programme to prevent fish escapes from aquaculture operations.
“The Directorate of Fisheries has carried out targeted inspection activities for several years to limit fish escapes. The goal is to reduce incidents that may occur during the transfer of fish from land-based aquaculture facilities to sea-based sites,” said Arnt Inge Berget, head of aquaculture inspection and guidance at the Directorate.
Inspectors will review companies’ procedures for managing size variation within fish groups and their controls for ensuring the smallest fish are not able to pass through net mesh openings. Risk assessments relating to smolt transfers will also be examined.
The Directorate updated its recommendations on minimum smolt weights for different mesh sizes in 2022, building on research into the relationship between fish size and net mesh openings.
“It is important that both smolt suppliers and fish farmers have incorporated the recommendations into their management systems,” said Britt Leikvoll, head of strategic aquaculture at the Directorate.
Fish escapes remain a politically sensitive issue in Norway because of concerns about interactions between farmed and wild salmon populations. Regulators have increasingly focused on operational procedures and technical standards as part of broader efforts to reduce escape incidents across the industry.
