Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries said Mowi Seawater Norway reported an escape incident that occurred on 7 May at its Brattholmen, Norway location.
According to the Directorate of Fisheries, the company reported an escape of approximately 14,500 farmed salmon, though it also said there is uncertainty surrounding that figure. Mowi said the salmon in the cage average over four kilograms in weight.
“The Directorate of Fisheries has ordered Mowi to conduct a count to clarify the extent of the escape,” the directorate said.
The directorate added that Mowi deployed a recapture net at the site following the incident, which was caused by a damaged seine. However, it also reported it has only caught three farmed salmon.
Following the escape, the directorate ordered Mowi to carry out environmental monitoring and removal of escaped farmed salmon in waterways, as is customary following an escape from an aquaculture operation.
“The order covers 10 waterways in the area from Halsfjorden, at the far end of Vefsnfjorden, to Ranfjorden. Two of the waterways are national salmon waterways,” the Directorate of Fisheries said.
The escape marks the first reported by Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries in 2026.
