Mowi’s salmon still missing weeks later — now the government steps in.
Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries has issued an order to Mowi requiring environmental monitoring and removal of escaped farmed salmon across 20 waterways in Nordland and Troms counties, following a significant escape incident at the company’s Storvika V site in Dyrøy municipality nearly two months ago.
The order aims to prevent escaped fish from entering rivers during the upcoming spawning season, senior communications advisor Vegard Oen Hatten told Folkebladet. An estimated 27,000 salmon escaped from the site during a period of extreme weather. As of April 3, only 1,282 fish — less than five percent — have been recaptured, according to company reports.
Knut Håvard Krokstrand, Mowi’s environment and government affairs contact for Region North, confirmed the company had received the order and had submitted a response proposal to the Directorate of Fisheries. “We are working with the authorities to find the best solution,” Krokstrand told NRK.
In a separate measure, Mowi has been ordered to continue recapture efforts in Mjøsundet, south of Dyrøy, after approximately 80 farmed salmon were caught there by anglers. The current directive extends the local catch operation until April 7.
The company has also offered a bounty for recaptured fish, though this has resulted in limited recovery. At the end of February, Mowi’s communications director Ola Helge Hjetland described the incident as “very regrettable,” adding that the company would monitor rivers and conduct DNA testing on any recovered fish to assess environmental impacts.
The Directorate of Fisheries has begun inspections of the Storvika V site in accordance with standard procedures.