Aerial view of a site in Måsøval. This is not the first ISA outbreak for the Norwegian salmon company in 2024.
Photo: Måsøval AS / Daniel Skog.
Måsøval has reported two possible cases of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) at two of its sites. The company has already said that, if confirmed, this could accelerate the total or partial harvest at both of them. As a consequence, the Norwegian salmon producer has downed its harvest estimate for 2024 from 27,000-28,000 GWT to 26,500-27,500 GWT.
The suspicion followed routine testing that indicated positive results for ISA at the Espnestaren and Måøydraga sites, both located in the municipality of Frøya. Additional tests are to be performed on the samples to confirm definitive results, but until this occurs, Måsøval has said it will treat the suspicion internally as a confirmation.
The company has therefore already implemented strict measures to contain the virus and prevent its spread, and has also notified the relevant authorities.
As mentioned, a possible confirmation of ISA could result in an acceleration of all or part of the harvest of affected sites. The harvest schedule of the sites will depend on the course of the disease, logistics, and harvesting capacity.
According to information provided by Måsøval, at the Espnestaren site, there are currently approximately 1.1 million salmon with an average weight of 3.4 kg WFE as of 11.08.24, and the plan was to finish the harvest in week 50. Part of those salmon is a co-located broodstock owned by Aquagen and operated by Måsøval, which, in addition, also operates one educational license for Trøndelag Fylkeskommune on the site.
Meanwhile, at the Måøydraga site, there are approximately 274,000 salmon with an average weight of 3.8 kg WFE. In this case, the site was planned to finish harvest in week 39.
ISA outbreaks have followed one after the other in Norway in recent months and this is not the first time they have affected Måsøval in 2024. After a Q4 2023 in which its profits rocketed, sales and processing losses overshadowed the company's Q1 2024 where, despite strong marine production, results were to some extent weighed down by low prices achieved due to "substandard" quality.
The company said at the time that it expected to increase harvest further in Q2, with a volume target of 7,500-8,000 GWT, and that for the full year, it expects to harvest between 27,000 and 28,000 GWT a figure that, as said, has now been lowered to 26,500-27,500 GWT.
In announcing the Q1 results, Måsøval also recalled that it had taken "important strategic measures" to vertically integrate and increase its key capabilities. Among these, the company signed a time-limited charter contract to acquire the wellboat 'MS Njord Kya', which, when operational later this year, will provide it with additional capacity and new technical features, such as combined freshwater and Thermolicer treatments on a continuous, bottleneck-free basis.
