The escape of thousands of salmon from an open-pen fish farm in Iceland has put the wild salmon population at risk. If the escaped fish interbreed with the native species, it could have a devastating impact on future generations of the wild salmon.
On August 20, around 3,500 farm-raised salmon managed to escape from an open-pen fish farm operated by Arctic Fish, a subsidiary of Norwegian seafood company Mowi. The farm is located off the coast of Patreksfjörður, a village on Iceland’s northwest coast. Reports on social media suggest that these escaped salmon, identifiable by their rounded tails and torn fins, have been discovered in at least 32 rivers in northwest Iceland.
The escape of these salmon is concerning because many of them have reached sexual maturity. This poses a threat to Iceland’s wild salmon population as interbreeding with the farm-raised salmon leads to offspring that mature much faster than their wild counterparts. This accelerated maturation rate makes it harder for the species to reproduce and increases their boldness and aggression, making them more susceptible to death as juveniles. The presence of these escaped fish in various Icelandic waterways puts a significant portion of the wild salmon population at risk.
Guðmundur Hauker Jakobsson, vice-chair of the Blanda and Svartá fishing club, described the situation as an environmental catastrophe, stating that if the salmon breed with the escaped fish, their ability to survive will be compromised. Additionally, open-pen fish farms contribute to pollution in surrounding waters due to waste discharge, according to Living Oceans. The spread of diseases from fish farms also poses a threat to wild fish populations, as highlighted by Wild First. Some unverified social media posts even showed escaped fish carrying sea lice, which can be fatal to wild salmon.
In response to this incident, environmentalists, hobby fishers, and politicians are once again calling for an end to open-pen fish farming in Iceland. Last year, Arnarlax, an Icelandic fish farming company, was fined approximately $800,000 for failing to report the escape of over 81,000 fish, according to the Fish Farmer. Arctic Fish has employed specialist divers to locate the farm-raised salmon, but the company’s CEO, Stein Ove Tveiten, and other board members could face up to two years in prison if found guilty of negligence.
As the consequences of escaped fish continue to unfold, it is crucial to address the risks posed by open-pen fish farming and explore more sustainable alternatives to protect both the wild salmon population and the environment.
