Major improvement in Norwegian salmon health
Farmed fish health in Norway improved again last year, says the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.
The annual mortality rate in 2025 was 14.2% compared with 15.4% in 2024 and 16.7% in 2023.
According to the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, it has been several years since the national mortality rate was calculated to be below 15 per cent.
The Institute will publish its full report next month, but in a preliminary announcement it said that several salmon farming companies had recorded reduced fish loss figures last year.
Ingunn Sommerset, Director of the Department of Fish Health at the Veterinary Institute said its calculations had supported a positive development in terms of mortality risk for farmed salmon in the sea phase in 2025.
It has been several years since the national mortality rate was calculated to be below 15 per cent. It is nevertheless important that the systematic work to improve fish health and welfare continues, so that we can see a lasting decrease, she added.
The number of dead farmed salmon in 2025 is reported to be 54.9 million, compared to 57.8 million in 2024 and 62.8 million in 2023.
Two years ago there was a marked increase in the number of salmon lost in the category classed at “other”, which were not included in the figures for calculating mortality.
The Institute’s preliminary report said the “other” category was broadly at the same level as last year which meant the reduction in the number of dead fish from 2024 to 2025 cannot be explained solely by increased reporting in this category.
The mortality rate varies from region to region. For example in the Swedish border region it was high at 18.2%, but just 9.4% in west and east Finnmark. In the Westfjords area it was 16.1%, but just 11.1% in Andøya to Senja.
The full Institute report will be published on 11 March.
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