Mowi has reported to the government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Fisheries and Land Resources two separate mass mortality events involving more than 28,000 lumpfish.
Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) are becoming increasing popular in salmon farming, where they are used as cohabiting “cleaner fish” that eat sea lice, a mounting problem for the industry.
Mowi, which operates as Marine Harvest Atlantic Canada in Newfoundland, originally reported 8,000 lumpfish mortalities occurred onboard a wellboat transferring them from New Brunswick to the Little Bay farm in southern Newfoundland on 24 May. It revised that estimate upwards 26 May, saying 15,800 lumpfish had died during the transfer, accounting for approximately 42 percent of the lumpfish being moved to its Newfoundland farm.
Separately, it recorded an additional 12,300 mortalities among of group of 65,700 lumpfish being transferred to its Steamers Head site in Newfoundland on 26 May, or around 19 percent of a total transfer of 65,700 fish being brought to the site.
“These were non-disease related mortalities that occurred at site during the transfer of the lumpfish,” the company said. “The abnormal mortalities were the result of rough sea conditions at the site immediately post-transfer. Two other sites were supplied with lumpfish during the same supply trip without issue.”
Mowi Canada said it was following its standard procedure for clean-up, removal, and disposal of the mortalities.
“Marine Harvest Atlantic Canada has taken all responsible steps under the oversight of the government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Fisheries and Land Resources, and is following government policies in this matter,” it said.
The company’s Newfoundland operations experienced additional misfortune in April when its hatchery in Stephenville was forced to cull 450,000 juvenile Atlantic salmon after a positive test for infectious salmon anemia (ISA). And the company suffered a mass die-off of salmon last year, after sustained high water temperatures resulted in the deaths of around 2.6 million Atlantic salmon between late August and early September at 10 of its Northern Harvest farms in southern Newfoundland.
Photo courtesy of Podolnaya Elena/Shutterstock
