More than 1 million farmed salmon die in Scotland’s worst mass die-off in a decade

More than one million farmed salmon have died at Mowi Scotland’s Loch Seaforth facilities, the report says, marking the largest mass die-off of farmed salmon in Scotland in a decade. Guardian.

According to Mowi, the deaths, which occurred during the standard one-and-a-half-year production cycle beginning in spring 2023, were attributed to rising sea temperatures and subsequent jellyfish blooms.

Ben Hadfield, Mowi Scotland’s chief operating officer, confirmed the total number of fish deaths was 1.05 million at two sites, known as Seaforth and Noster. He stressed that mass mortality is “very false and misleading” if it is linked to poor agricultural practices.

“This is due to the unprecedented increase in sea temperature,” he said, explaining that jellyfish stings on the eyes, skin and gills can lead to health complications and death.

The worrying data was revealed by analysis by the Scottish Coastal Communities Network (CCN) and the NGO Free Salmon.

“For the first time since 2014, more than one million farmed salmon deaths have been reported at a single farm site in a single production cycle,” said John Aitchison, representing CCN.

He also stressed that such mass deaths could indicate poor animal welfare and expressed concern that larger farms could exacerbate these problems in the future.

Despite the mass die-off, Mowi maintains that fish welfare remains a priority. Hadfield noted that salmon mortality in Mowi “has dropped by two-thirds this year as temperatures normalize.”

The incident has drawn attention to fish welfare practices in Scotland’s salmon farming industry. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), which certifies many Mowi farms under the RSPCA Assured brand, recently suspended three Scottish salmon farms following reports of breaches of welfare regulations.

However, an RSPCA spokesman clarified that health issues related to jellyfish at Mowi plants are beyond the supplier’s control and do not jeopardize its welfare certification.