Gigante Salmon update: production reduces by almost 50% in January

Gigante Salmon have published an update about the challenges with mortality related which occured on 25th January in its Rødøy facility. According to the company, have led to a reduction in production by approx. 300,000, or nearly 50% of the release.

As WeAreAquaculture reported, the main challenges were with the smolt received in the second delivery. It seems that the cause of the mortality is not related to the facility itself.

Tha company confirmed that it is collaborating with the fish health services partner to investigate the cause of the mortality and to implement mitigating measures.

No single factor has been identified, but rather a combination of several causes

First, a delayed delivery due to late start-up of the facility caused a lower quality over the second delivery smolt. Also, there was a recorded mortality already during loading onto the wellboat.

Consequently, the water suffered lower quality during transportation, and this combined with bad weather during the period meant that the second delivery spent longer in the boat than planned. Finally, there was also a low sea temperature (3.8 degrees) at the time of release.

On the other hand, Gigante Salmon indicated that in the facility the seawater was pumped in as planned and the water chemistry was good. The fish are doing well in the longitudinal tanks, which are now operating with a water velocity of about 20 cm/s.

"If the fish isn't doing well, neither are we. Our employees are doing everything they can to address the fish's health challenges. It is of little consolation to us that this is not due to the design of the facility. We are doing what we can to handle the situation," said CEO Helge E. W. Albertsen of Gigante Salmon.