Source: AFP
They are hailed for their omega-3 fatty acids and micronutrients, but Norway salmon are not themselves in the best of health in the fish farms where they are raised.
Nearly 63 million salmon — a record — died prematurely last year in the vast underwater sea pens that dot the fjords of Norway, the world’s largest producer of Atlantic salmon.
This represents a mortality rate of 16.7 percent, also a record high and a number that has steadily increased over the years — posing an economic and ethical problem for producers.
Salmon are susceptible to diseases of the pancreas, gills or heart, or injuries sustained during the removal of sea lice parasites.
“The death of animals is a waste of life and resources,” Edgar Brun, director of Aquatic Animal Health and Welfare at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, told AFP.
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“We also have a moral and ethical responsibility to guarantee them the best possible conditions.”
Norway’s salmon exports topped $11 billion last year, with the 1.2 million tonnes sold representing the equivalent of 16 million meals a day.
The 63 million prematurely dead salmon represent nearly $2 billion in lost income for the industry.
Not so appetizing
Salmon that die prematurely are usually turned into animal feed or biofuel.
However, according to Norwegian media, some fish that are in poor condition at the time of slaughter, or even already dead, sometimes end up on dinner plates, sometimes even sent with a label that says “superior”.
“I see fish being sold that I myself wouldn’t eat,” Laila Sele Navikauskas, a former head of quality control at a salmon slaughterhouse, told public broadcaster NRK in November.
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Eating this salmon poses no risk to human health, experts say.
“The pathogens that cause these diseases in salmon cannot be transmitted to humans,” Brun explained.
Source: AFP
But the revelations are damaging the salmon’s prized image.
“If you buy meat in a store, you expect it to come from an animal that was slaughtered according to regulations, not from an animal that was lying dead outside the barn,” said Trygve Poppe, a fish health expert.
“Otherwise, as a consumer you feel cheated.”
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority said it had noticed irregularities in half of the fish farms it inspected last year, noting that, among other things, injured or deformed fish had been exported in violation of Norwegian regulations.
In order to maintain its strong reputation, only normal or superior quality salmon is allowed to be exported.
The lower-quality fish — which represents a growing share of stocks, up to a third last winter — can only be sold abroad after being processed, for example into fillets.
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A matter of trust
Robert Eriksson, head of the Norwegian Seafood Association which represents small producers — who are generally considered less culpable — said the irregularities reported on some farmers were “totally unacceptable”.
“We live on trust,” he said.
Taking shortcuts means “you are being penalized by the market and the financial impact is far greater than the few extra pounds you sold”.
The Norwegian Seafood Federation — which represents the biggest fish farming companies, those most often singled out for quality — insists it is tackling the issue, but says more time is needed.
Source: AFP
“On average, it takes three years to raise a salmon,” said the body’s director, Geir Ove Ystmark.
“So it is very difficult to see immediate results today, even though we have launched a number of initiatives and measures.”
The problem is precisely the speed at which the fish are farmed, according to fish health expert Poppe, who criticized the “horribly poor animal conditions” and who stopped eating farmed salmon.
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“Salmon are subjected to stress throughout their lives, from the time they are hatched in fresh water until they are slaughtered,” Poppe said.
“For example, during the first phase in fresh water, light and temperature are manipulated so that they grow as quickly as possible,” he explained.
“In the wild, this phase takes two to six years. When farmed, it takes six months to a year.”
New technology
Truls Gulowsen, head of Friends of the Earth Norway, said the higher death rates in recent years were a result of aggressive industrialization.
“We’ve bred a farmed fish that has little chance of survival and is dying from a combination of stress and bad genes because it’s been bred to grow as fast as possible and has been subjected to a major change in diet.”
The Norwegian Seafood Association aims to halve the mortality rate by 2030, and industry giant Salmar has set aside $45 million to tackle the issue.
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Source: AFP
Among the possibilities often cited are greater spacing between fish farms and new technology, including so-called closed facilities.
The latter, where seawater is filtered, would help prevent sea lice, but is more costly.
The government insists it is up to the fish farms to respect the rules.
“Not all producers have the same mortality rates, so it is possible to reduce them,” said Even Trondstad Sagebaken, deputy minister at the fisheries ministry.
Meanwhile, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority says it has yet to receive reports of unfit salmon being sold abroad.
Source: AFP