Update: Mortalities & Disease Decimating Scottish Salmon

Mass mortalities and infectious diseases on Scottish salmon farms are rising faster than you can say "I pledge not to eat farmed salmon. Join me!". The latest official data was published last week (17 October) by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate.

Much of the data sadly has missing numbers of dead fish (watch out for next month's publication in mid November to fill in the blanks) but even with the missing data there were 236,314 dead farmed salmon reported in August 2019 – almost double the 119,998 dead farmed salmon reported in July 2019. There's now so many dead salmon being transported on Scotland's roads that salmon roadkill is becoming a common sight for tourists – here's video footage from the A86.

Here's the biggest 'Mortality Event Reports' in August 2019 with explained reasons listed as Pancreas Disease, Cardiomyopathy Syndrome, Pasteurella skyensis, Anaemia, Complex Gill Disorder, Post Treatment (Optilicer), Peroxide Treatments, Post Treatment (Mechanical), Amoebic Gill Disease, Physical Damage:

The largest mass mortality event reported is at Mowi's Linnhe salmon farm at Ardgour with 29,795 dead farmed salmon reported on 7 August 2019 with Cardiomyopathy Syndrome and Pasteurella skyensis cited as reasons for mortality.

The Fish Health Inspectorate report for Mowi's Linnhe salmon farm at Ardgour details shocking mortality rates of 32%, 49% and 55% with the site being harvested out to avoid further problems.

Results of surveillance added Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI) and Pancreas Disease (PD) to the disease problems at Mowi's Linnhe salmon farm at Ardgour.

The second biggest mortality event reported was 27,644 dead farmed salmon at Grieg Seafood's Swinning Voe 3 salmon farm on 7 August 2019 attributed to "failed smolts and IPN" . The Fish Health Inspectorate 'Case Information' reveals positive tests for Piscine Reovirus (PRV), Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI), Moritella viscosa with "physical damage" and "lesions".

Grieg Seafood's Swinning Voe 3 salmon farm also reported lice problems.

The Fish Health Inspectorate report for Grieg Seafood's Swinning Voe 3 salmon farm cited over 35,000 mortalities due to Cardiomyopathy Syndrome, Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis, Peroxide Treatments and Failed Smolts.

Note that the mortality data published by the Scottish Government is NOT a comprehensive list and total numbers of dead farmed salmon have not been published since 2012 when the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation successfully lobbied against disclosure arguing that publication would be commercially damaging.

With rising Summer temperatures and warmer weather, the alarm bells are ringing that 2019 could be the worst year on record for mortalities and diseases on Scottish salmon farms. Salmon Business reported in May:

And expect mortalities and disease to be much worse in the second half of 2019. As Scottish Salmon Watch warned last October:

Here's a Facebook post last week (17 October) from Corin Smith's Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots.

An analysis of the mortality data published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency via Scotland's Aquaculture paints a picture of rising mortalities with 2019 forecast to be the worst on record (2019 is certainly the worst on record for the first six months of the year -i.e. Q1 & Q2 – with nearly 9,000 tonnes of dead farmed salmon):

Here's video footage of disease-ridden salmon in a skip at a Mowi salmon farm at Gorsten in Loch Linnhe.