Arctic Fish escape investigation reopened after appeal

The Icelandic salmon farmer Arctic Fish is likely to face an investigation into its operations in the Westfjords after all.

A decision by the police to drop an inquiry into the accidental release of salmon last year has now been overturned by the Office of Public Prosecutions .

The Mowi-owned company experienced the accidental release of more than 3,000 salmon in the Isafjord area in August last year.

The incident led to protests from anti-salmon farm campaigners, sports fishing groups and a sizeable section of the public.

Arctic Fish apologised for the incident and instituted a large-scale escaped fish recovery plan.

The police launched an official investigation at the request of the veterinary agency but withdrew it shortly before Christmas on the grounds that the escape was probably accidental.

But now  the Icelandic Federation of Fishing Associations has appealed that decision and an official inquiry looks set to go ahead.

Arctic Fish was acquired by Mowi from SalMar in January 2023 in a deal worth a total of around £150m.

Meanwhile, Arctic Fish has just published its 2024 first quarter results which show a made an EBIT or operational profit of €10m (£8.5m) on a harvest of 2,500 tonnes gutted weight.

The production capacity for the company is 29,800 tonnes MAB (Maximum Allowed Biomass) and includes licences covering 13 farming areas in 6 different fjords, all located in the Westfjords of Iceland.

The production capacity for the company is 28,500 tonnes.