Mowi contractor ‘would have let dead fish enter human food chain’

The charge was made by the national broadcaster NRK, which is claiming that the incident took place on a slaughter boat this month.

The alleged transgression was spotted by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority during a routine inspection two weeks ago.

Geir Arne Ystmark at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority told NRK that for bacterial health reasons dead fish must not be permitted to enter the food chain. 

“This is a serious violation,” he said.

NRK said lifeless salmon were found at the bottom of Mowi’s fish farm in Norfjord two weeks ago, adding that the world’s largest fish farming company had had problems with its fish outside Endal in Nordfjord.

It also said a harvest vessel had been hired to slaughter fish at the farm.

The NRK report continued: “It was in full swing when the Norwegian Food Safety Authority came on an unannounced inspection on September 10.

“The Norwegian Food Safety Authority saw that almost all the fish that were pumped on board had no signs of life.

“Nevertheless, the fish were sorted as human food – right in front of the inspectors.”

NRK said the Norwegian Food Safety Authority then made an emergency decision banning slaughter and trade.

“Fish that die naturally should not enter the food chain. This is about risk and bacterial growth on the fish,” says Ystmark.

For the past month the Food Safety Authority has been travelling on an unannounced operation along the Norwegian coast. The aim was to inspect slaughter boats that handle fish. And it did find violations on two boats.

Mowi’s Communications Director, Ola Helge Hjetland told NRK: “We take the findings very seriously. It is totally unacceptable that fish that have died of themselves have not been sorted out.”

The company also said it expects its suppliers to work in accordance with the regulations. It has stopped using the vessel and the supplier until further notice.

But the Food Safety Authority is insisting that Mowi itself must take responsibility for removing any dead fish before the slaughter boat arrives.