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The Norwegian Society for Conservation of Nature predicted in May that Nordlaks’ new marine farm would lead to huge lice problems.
And this fall, lice have been detected in the giant cage, which was in place in June, to both cheers and despair.
In late July, 2.3 million one-year-old fish were released into the giant cage, and after less than six months in operation, salmon lice soared, to a level of 0.22 lice per fish, according to Figures from the Barentswatch fish health website.
In November, a lice remedy had to be used at Havfarmen, which had to be free of chemicals. They got rid of most of the lice, but in the last four weeks the lice level has slowly risen again.
– What did we say? We warned that there could be large numbers of lice, and then it only took a few months, says Maren Esmark, secretary general of the Nature Conservation Association.
– And here we are in a situation where they already have to use chemicals, continue.
MOBILE: The marine farm is a stationary giant cage that can be placed in areas that have hitherto been inaccessible for farming and can hold around 2 million fish.
Illustration: Nordlaks Produkter AS
– A large number of lice
It is open in a fjord where there are also crustaceans and red deer. That worries the Nature Conservation Association.
CRITICAL: – It’s scary that such a large facility has lice problems so soon after putting fish in the sea, says Maren Esmark of the Nature Conservation Association.
Photo: Eirik Haukenes / NRK
At the last measurement, the lice level is up to 0.17 lice per fish. Basically, it is well below the threshold level of 0.5 lice per fish.
Mens:
– Anyway, there are a lot of lice. It’s a very difficult plant and a lot of chemicals are needed when dealing with such a large plant, says Esmark.
Esmark says they are completely against such facilities and rather in favor of closed facilities.
I do not agree with lusa
Nordlaks communications director Lars Fredrik Martinussen disagrees that they had major head lice issues this fall.
INSIDE: Lars Fredrik Martinussen at Nordlaks emphasizes that they are well below the limit of regulations, which he describes as strict in Norway.
Photo: Press photo
– The fish found today in Havfarmen have been in the sea for about 16 months, and in Havfarmen the last 4-5 months. In our experience, lice development in Havfarmen has been slow, despite good sea temperatures this fall, he says.
At the time, Nordlaks received 21 development permits for Havfarmen. A permit means that you are allowed to have up to 780 tonnes of salmon maximum.
Its application also included a plan for chemical-free production. How?
– Nordlaks has invested more than NOK 800 million in two new wells that are designed to serve Havfarmen and are equipped to remove lice from salmon without the use of drugs, says Martinussen.
Welcome them
According to Martinussen, well boats can, among other things, wash fish in fresh water. It does not tolerate lice.
But the ships have been delayed from the shipyard due to the crown.
– Then we had to make a difficult decision, which however was also the responsible decision to make, to remove lice from salmon with veterinary help, says Martinussen.
The boats will be in place in the new year, and then they will gladly accept Esmark and the Nature Conservation Association.
– We can show both the batteries and the ground connection. Then it can be nice!
