'Moribund' Mowi: Salmon Gill Poxvirus, Amoebic Gill Disease & Anaemia at Ardintoul

When Scottish Salmon Watch visited Mowi's disease-ridden salmon farm at Ardintoul in Loch Alsh 'Special Area of Conservation' on 2 November 2019 we discovered dead salmon and a hostile reception from workers which prompted a complaint to the Health & Safety Executive and Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

Now the publication of damning documents by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate (published online on 17 January 2020) reveals why Mowi's lawyers are so desperate for people to stay away from their virus-laden feedlots.

"At the time of the visit moribund fish and some floating mortalities were observed in all cages" stated the FHI inspection report dated 18 December 2019. The FHI inspection report also detailed "3,221 morts due to concussions due to increased Caligus [lice] burdens" with 73,459 morts (dead salmon) between 9 September and 13 October 2019. Here's the Fish Health Inspectorate's 'Case Information' relating to an inspection of Mowi's Ardintoul salmon farm on 17 October 2019.

Here's Marine Scotland's letter to Mowi dated 18 December 2019 in relation to the inspection visit on 17 October 2019 – detailing positive tests for Salmon Gill Poxvirus, Neoparamoeba perurans (Amoebic Gill Disease) and Paranucleospora theridion (linked to Proliferative Gill Inflammation) in farmed salmon and Aeromonas salmonicida (an etiological agent for Furunculosis) in lumpfish:

A letter dated 25 November 2019 from Marine Scotland to Mowi reported that movement records were "found to be inadequately maintained" and medicine records were "found to be inadequately maintained".

Here's photos of the FHI inspection dated 17 October 2019 (only five samples of salmon were taken and one lumpfish – and note that a Thermolicer treatment had finished just a few days earlier on 14 October 2019 which 'cleaned' the fish of lice):

Here's photos obtained by Scottish Salmon Watch during a visit to Ardintoul on 2 November 2019 (two weeks after the FHI inspection):

Here's photos taken by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate on a visit to Ardintoul in 2016:

At Mowi's Ardintoul salmon farm in Loch Alsh 'Special Area of Conservation' the Fish Health Inspectorate also reported on 8 January 2020 "Complex gill disease with significant AGD + piscirickettsia infection". There were 12,990 mortalities reported as ending on 10 November 2019 and 14,582 mortalities reported as ending on 3 November 2019 (with a total of five 'Mortality Event Reports' at Ardintoul in October and November totaling 95,723 farmed salmon).

Mowi reported lice and mortality problems at Ardintoul in September & October 2019 including "treatment loss", "physical damage" and anaemia.

During Scottish Salmon Watch's visit to Mowi's Ardintoul salmon farm in November 2019 we saw 'meatheads' – diseased fish with white heads due to lice damage and welfare problems – in one cage but were blocked from visiting other cages.

Surely it is time for Mowi to move out of Loch Alsh 'Special Area of Conservation' as well as their "contentious" salmon farm in Loch Duich?