Market – December 19, 2025

Repeat shark attacks breach SalMar pen, suspected escape reported

The business end of the “hungry shark” blamed for net damage. Photo: WikiCommons

Shark scare at salmon farm as damage discovered in sea pen.

A swarm of sharks has ripped into a salmon farm in Norway, tearing holes in nets and sparking fears thousands of fish may have escaped.

The dramatic incident unfolded at a SalMar site in Trøndelag, Norway where operators discovered extensive damage to a sea pen after repeated shark attacks.

Regulators say the predators struck under cover of darkness, forcing the company to urgently move fish out of the damaged enclosure and deploy emergency recapture nets.

But efforts to recover any escaped salmon were hampered when sharks themselves, a type of dogfish, became caught in the nets, forcing the operation to be halted.

The Directorate of Fisheries confirmed it is now investigating a suspected escape, warning that it is too early to say how many fish may be missing.

“The damage was caused by extensive shark attacks,” the authority said, adding that the predators are known to be more active and aggressive at night.

The salmon in the affected pen weighed around 2kg each.

Inspectors have already visited the site and are urging farmers in exposed areas to step up monitoring, particularly of dead fish removal, amid concerns the attacks could escalate.

Officials also issued guidance that fish handling should take place during daytime only, due to heightened shark activity after dark.

Members of the public have been asked to report any sightings or catches of farmed salmon in the area.

SalMar later sought to play down the incident, saying it had reported a “suspected escape” in line with routine procedures and that no fish had so far been recovered.

Repeat shark attacks breach SalMar pen, suspected escape reported

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