Mowi criticised over Norwegian salmon mortality

Mowi is being taken to task by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority over the high number of salmon deaths in central Norway.

According to the national broadcaster NRK, around 180,000 fish weighing an average of three kilos died at a single site in just a month (January this year), so the Authority has called on the company to explain itself.

“We clearly see it as a lack of improvement”, said John Falch, head of department at the Authority.

NRK says it was given access to the presentation that was put forward at the meeting with Mowi.

Of the 12.7 million salmon that died in central Norwegian farms last year, 4.9 million or some 39% were in Mowi facilities – well above average.

John Falch added: “We felt compelled to call in the top management of the company. They are the ones who must now be made responsible. We are not satisfied with the measures that were implemented after the previous audit.

“Some of the facilities examined have seen some improvement since the last release of fish.”

The problem is, however, that the mortality figures are far above other facilities in the area. Central Norway has around 16% dead fish on average.

Mowi regional director Asgeir Hasund said the company was clearly not satisfied with the figures.

“We are working every single day to improve ourselves,” he told NRK. “We will not give up until we get these locations down to the level of our other locations in this area.”