Norwegian salmon producer Lerøy has provided an update on the salmon escape incident that occurred earlier in May.
On May 5, Lerøy reported an escape at their aquaculture site Reitholmen in Fillfjorden, Hitra municipality. Initially, it was believed that 14,000 salmon had escaped. However, the company has now revised the number to 8,400 salmon, each with an average weight of 7.3 kilos.
Harald Larssen, General Manager of Lerøy Midt, explained that this reduction followed a thorough count of the fish at the site and an analysis of fish movements between cages during production.
In response to the escape, Lerøy initiated extensive recapture efforts within the permitted area, under the supervision of the Directorate of Fisheries and the State Administrator. They have deployed 18 kilometers of nets and have already recaptured more than 800 salmon. These efforts will continue in the coming days.
Larssen emphasized that both Lerøy and the authorities are keen to avoid catching wild salmon during the recapture efforts, and so far, they have succeeded in this objective.
Despite the presence of viruses (PD, CMS) and bacteria (BKD) at the site, Larssen assured that the escaped salmon are in good health and safe to eat.
Lerøy’s environmental and safety group is working with the Directorate of Fisheries to determine the root cause of the incident. Preliminary findings suggest that the damage occurred while handling bottom weights. Investigations are ongoing to confirm the exact cause.
