Salmon in a cage. According to the Norwegian Veterinary Institute's Fish Health Report 2023, Norway recorded its highest-ever mortality rate of sea-phase salmon last year.
Photo: Stine Gismervik / Veterinærinstituttet - Norwegian Veterinary Institute.
The Norwegian Veterinary Institute – Veterinærinstituttet - has presented its Fish Health Report 2023 which shows that last year, Norway recorded its highest mortality rate of sea-phase salmon ever, both in numbers and as a percentage. As many as 62.8 million salmon (16.7%) and 2.5 million rainbow trout (14%) died in the sea-phase production. In addition, 37.7 million salmon and 2.4 million rainbow trout over 3 grams died during land-based smolt production. This amounts to more than 100 million dead farmed salmon and rainbow trout in Norway last year.
The report also reveals that infectious diseases were the leading cause of mortality in Norwegian aquaculture. In 2023, the three most prominent health problems were the same as in 2022: injuries during delousing operations, complex gill disease, and winter ulcers. However, last year saw a significant change from previous years, with jellyfish injuries ranking among the top ten health challenges.
For the first time, the report is able to show an overview of the main categories of causes of death for farmed salmon because the aquaculture companies have themselves shared data on this in the industry initiative AquaCloud.
The Norwegian Seafood Association - Sjømatbedriftene - has immediately assessed the data as unacceptable and said that the industry itself must set clear targets. According to its CEO, Robert H. Eriksson, a clear goal should be to halve mortality by 2030.
As mentioned above, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute's Fish Health Report 2023 indicates that the leading cause of mortality recorded in Norway last year was 'infectious diseases', with about 38% of the cases. This was followed by 'injuries (trauma)' with about 33% of the recorded mortality cases, and in third place, with about 20%, those deaths recorded as 'unknown cause'. 'Physiological causes' accounted for 4.5%, 2.9% died because of 'environmental conditions', and 2% for 'other causes'.
Within 'infectious diseases', the five most common subcategories were winter ulcers, cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS), gill disease, heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMB), and pasteurellosis. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute recalled that sea lice treatments and stressful handling can weaken fish and make them more susceptible to these infectious diseases.
"This year's report has a strengthened database," commented Ingunn Sommerset, editor of the Fish Health Report, alluding to the data shared in the AquaCloud industry initiative. "We see that the six mortality categories where the industry itself has registered mortality coincide and strengthen our own surveys. We now have a good factual basis that the industry and management can work from to solve the challenges."
"Infectious diseases are a comprehensive problem both for the welfare and survival of the fish in the sea," said for his part Edgar Brun, Department Director of Fish Health and Fish Welfare at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute. "There is a lot of knowledge about how the risk of infection can be reduced, and there is great potential for improvement," he continued, and added, "It requires that knowledge is used and translated into action in the aquaculture industry."
Editor Ingunn Sommerset and Department Director of Fish Health and Fish Welfare, Edgar Brun, presenting the Fish Health Report 2023 in Bergen.
So the Norwegian Veterinary Institute has called on the industry to act, and Sjømatbedriftene has responded immediately. The business organization representing all sectors of the Norwegian seafood industry found the figures recorded in 2023 unacceptable, and its CEO, Robert H. Eriksson, pointed out that social responsibility has grown along with the industry and it is the sector's responsibility to take the lead and point out the direction to follow.
"The seafood industry's ambition is not only to meet society's expectations, but we should set the standard higher and preferably surpass them," he said. "I know that poor fish welfare and high mortality in the cages undermine the professional pride of my members. The fact that over 62 million salmon do not reach the fish counter, equivalent to over 1 billion meals, is something that we as an industry cannot accept."
The industry association recalled that a lot of good work is being done in many companies and that its member companies prioritize fish welfare and the fight against mortality. As an example, Sjømatbedriftene highlighted the Salmon Living Lab initiative, recently launched by SalMar, an innovation and R&D center backed by an investment of NOK 500 million (EUR 43.6 million- USD 47.8 million), which, among other things, aims to identify the root causes of high mortality. "This is a very good initiative and something we fully support," stated Sjømatbedriftene CEO.
According to Sjømatbedriftene, one of the measures that it would be prudent for the Minister of Fisheries to introduce is a national limitation on how long fish can remain in cages with unacceptable mortality. However, he also added that the industry itself must set clear targets.
"It has required enormous effort to bring the industry to where we are today. This is the foundation we are now going to build on, but vague goals can lead to a lack of direction and misplaced focus in the plans that are laid out. Therefore, the industry must set a clear ambition. To cast the first stone, I believe the industry should aim to halve mortality by 2030," concluded Robert H. Eriksson, CEO of Sjømatbedriftene.