Latest news with #salmonfarming
ABC News
02-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Salmon company Huon used tonne of antibiotics in bacterial outbreak, EPA report finds
Samples of wild fish caught near a Huon Aquaculture lease in February were found to have antibiotic residue levels up to a dozen times higher than the threshold for commercially sold salmon, according to an Environment Protection Authority (EPA) report. The interim report monitoring Huon's antibiotic use was completed by environmental consultants Aquenal. According to the report, 1,133 kilograms of the antibiotic Oxytetracycline (OCT) was administered via fish feed at Huon's Zuidpool lease between February 13 and February 26 this year. In February, a mass mortality event caused by the bacterial pathogen Piscirikettsia salmonis devastated salmon farms in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, south of Hobart. Between January and March, the death of more than 13,500 tonnes of salmon was reported to the EPA by the three major salmon companies operating in the state. By late February, Huon's Zuidpool lease had begun to draw public and media attention after the Bob Brown Foundation released drone footage showing workers at the lease putting live salmon into tubs along with dead stock. Oily globules made of salmon fat began washing up along beaches on the channel, which were found to contain low levels of antibiotics. According to the Australian New Zealand Food Standard Code, salmon destined for sale must comply with an antibiotic maximum residue limit (MLT) of 0.2 milligrams per kilogram. The report said eight samples of wild fish were taken in the Zuidpool North lease, with three samples — all blue mackerel — testing above the reporting threshold. It found one sample site with wild fish showing "relatively high" antibiotic residue levels of up to 2.4 milligrams per kilogram, or 12 times higher than the maximum antibiotic threshold for commercially sold salmon. In a statement, Tasmanian Public Health Director Mark Veitch said the results were consistent with estimates used in a Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) risk assessment. "These samples were collected in late February 2025, in the days after the period of [antibiotic] dosing ended, when antibiotic residue was most likely to be present in fish and the environment." The report also tested at Zuidpool South, with no samples returning antibiotic residue levels above the limit of reporting. Samples were also taken at five locations several kilometres from the Zuidpool salmon pens. One of those sites, Ventenat Point on Bruny Island, recorded noticeably elevated antibiotic levels in blue mackerel that was sampled. Verona Sands, Jetty and Conleys Beach on Bruny Island, and Roaring Beach near Surveyors Bay were also sampled for antibiotic levels. Aquenal said the results of those surveys will be released "in subsequent reports". The EPA will release a final report with all sample results after the monitoring program finishes. It raised concerns that prolonged exposure to antibiotic treatment could result in resistant bacterial strainers that were more difficult to treat. This year the EPA would not disclose how much antibiotic was being used by Huon, citing commercial in confidence. "If individuals are concerned at all about potentially having antibiotics in wild fish, then of course they can choose to fish further away from the [affected] lease," former EPA Tasmania director Wes Ford said at the time. Antibiotics have been commonly used by salmon companies to treat bacterial diseases. However, the EPA said antibiotic treatment has declined since 2009 due to the development of vaccines. In 2022, Tassal used 675 kilograms of the same antibiotic to treat a vibrio outbreak at its Sheppards lease off the coast of Coningham. Three flathead caught 2 kilometres from the lease were also found to contain more than the reportable threshold of antibiotics in their flesh that same year.
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Go fish: China to deliver world's first salmon-farming ship, modernising fisheries
China is building the world's first ship dedicated to salmon farming, and it is set to be delivered in June, in a sign of the country's latest efforts to reduce its reliance on imported seafood through offshore aquaculture. The nearly 250-metre (820-foot) Su Hai No 1 vessel, built by Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou at a cost of 600 million yuan (US$83.6 million), is expected to produce up to 8,000 tonnes of salmon annually, according to the shipowner, Jiangsu Lianshen Marine Technology. 'This is a milestone for China's high-quality development in modern marine fisheries, signalling that the country's seafood market will significantly reduce its reliance on imported chilled salmon,' the company said. Unlike traditional offshore net-pen systems, the vessel can quickly relocate to safer waters to avoid adverse conditions such as typhoons and harmful algal blooms. It also features an onboard processing facility capable of delivering fresh, processed salmon to some domestic markets as quickly as 24 hours. Beijing has emphasised the importance of developing the ocean economy and strengthening the nation's food supply by building a 'marine breadbasket', as the government prioritises food security amid global climate change, geopolitical shifts, and trade tensions with the West. Ahead of next month's delivery, the Su Hai No 1 is undergoing adjustments at the shipyard following a trial voyage in late April, the company said.
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Feeding The Future Or Eating The Ocean? The $80 Billion Salmon Crisis
Trawl net bycatch from shrimp fishery, Sea of Cortez, Mexico. (Photo by: Mark Conlin/VW PICS/UIG via ... More Getty Image) Beneath the placid surface of the global seafood market, a material financial risk is quietly escalating—one rooted deep within the industry's supply chain. It's not climate volatility or ESG scrutiny grabbing the headlines —but the fragile economics of what we're feeding our farmed fish. A new report from the FAIRR Initiative—an $80 trillion-backed investor network focused on ESG risks in protein production—exposes a growing contradiction at the heart of the global salmon farming industry: a sector that markets itself as sustainable yet increasingly relies on a shrinking, finite resource—wild fish—for its survival. Released ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, the report follows a four-year engagement with seven of the world's largest publicly listed salmon producers and delivers a stark warning: without urgent reform, the industry's feed supply chain could buckle under its own expansion. These companies represent 58% of global farmed salmon production, with over 1.2 million tonnes produced in 2023. FAIRR's analysis reveals systemic environmental, regulatory, and financial risks tied to dependence on wild-caught fish, exposing a deep disconnect between sustainability claims and operational reality. The industry's dependence on fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO), both derived from wild-caught fish, is a growing vulnerability. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, 90% of global fisheries are already overexploited or at capacity. Yet salmon producers continue to lean heavily on this strained input to support projected production increases of 40% by 2033. FMFO is also used across aquaculture species like sea bass and sea bream, as well as in pet food. In 2023, when Peru cancelled its anchovy fishing season, fish oil prices surged by 107%. Mowi, the world's largest salmon producer, reported a 70% rise in feed costs between 2021 and 2023 due to that single event. Some companies temporarily switched to algae oil during the price spike, only to revert once fisheries opened—highlighting a reactive approach that favors short-term cost savings over long-term resilience. 'We are relying on a finite input to fuel infinite growth projections,' said Laure Boissat, Oceans Programme Manager at FAIRR. 'That's not resilience—it's a recipe for collapse.' Between 2020 and 2024, five of the seven companies in FAIRR's study increased their absolute use of FMFO made from whole wild fish—by as much as 39%. Despite sustainability claims, only three firms reduced the proportion of FMFO in their feed, and none by more than three percentage points. In response, many companies have turned to fish trimmings—by-products from fish processing—as an alternative. While six producers have increased their use, the supply is inherently limited. One company reported purchasing all available trimmings in its operating region, raising concerns that rising demand could incentivize additional fishing. This exposes a fundamental flaw in the industry's growth narrative. Farmed salmon production is projected to grow by 40% by 2033, yet fishmeal and fish oil production is forecast to rise by only 9% and 12% respectively over roughly the same period. These numbers are irreconcilable. Without scalable alternatives, or a drastic shift in feed formulation, the industry's expansion plans appear unsustainable. FAIRR's report notes that none of the seven companies assessed have set absolute reduction targets for fish-based feed, even as five aim to scale up salmon output. This disconnect exposes investors to long-term risk: if feed supply can't match growth, either costs will skyrocket, margins will shrink, or the environmental impact will intensify. This feed dependency has broader implications. Aquafeed producers face rising costs and raw material uncertainty. The pet food industry, reliant on salmon oil and trimmings, is also vulnerable to volatility. As wild fish availability declines, disruptions in one part of the supply chain can ripple across sectors, amplifying risk. The diversion of edible fish into feed also raises ethical concerns. Over 90% of fish used in FMFO could be eaten by people. Feedback's Blue Empire report found that in 2020, Norwegian salmon farms used nearly 2 million tonnes of wild-caught fish for feed, including up to 144,000 tonnes harvested off West Africa, enough to feed 2.5 to 4 million people for a year. Novel ingredients like insect meal, algae oil, and single-cell proteins were once seen as game-changers. Four years later, their use remains limited as challenges abound including high production costs, scalability issues, nutritional limitations, and consumer skepticism. Only three companies have set targets to increase their inclusion, which average just 4%. One aims for 10–15% by 2030—a modest target given the urgent need for action. 'In essence, the sector is stalling,' said Boissat. 'There's no silver bullet ingredient on the horizon. What we're seeing instead is short-term thinking packaged as long-term strategy.' FAIRR's report quantifies a growing financial risk. Feed price volatility, as demonstrated by the Peru example, threatens margins across the sector. That being the case, it's arguable that the salmon industry's dependence on wild-caught fish is not just environmentally unsustainable—it's economically reckless. 'As investors, we believe the aquaculture industry must shift towards sustainable feed solutions. Diversifying feed ingredients is not only an environmental imperative, but also a strategic necessity for long-term resilience,' Thekla Swart of FAIRR participant Steyler Ethik Bank said in a statement. Salmon producers often lead the protein sector in disclosure, but FAIRR warns that transparency alone is not enough. 'Companies disclose intensity-based metrics, but those don't show the absolute pressure on fish stocks,' Boissat explained. 'This is the gap between reporting and reality—the system is unsustainable even as it appears progressive on paper.' FAIRR's recommendations are clear. Companies should set absolute reduction rather than efficiency targets for FMFO and invest in scalable alternative feed ingredients—but deeper transformation may be needed. That means shifting away from carnivorous species like salmon toward unfed aquaculture options—such as mussels and oysters—which require no external feed inputs. FAIRR also encourages exploration of plant-based seafood, mirroring moves by the meat industry into alternative proteins. 'Fed aquaculture is simply inefficient,' Boissat emphasized. 'We must rethink what seafood production looks like in the 21st century.' FAIRR's report arrives ahead of the June UN Ocean Conference in Nice, where global leaders will gather to address ocean sustainability. A key issue is the gap between marine protection policy and practice. Many marine protected areas (MPAs) still allow bottom trawling and industrial fishing, undermining conservation goals. 'Even in protected waters, the absence of enforceable restrictions allows destructive practices to persist,' said Boissat. 'Until regulation catches up with science, these so-called protections offer a false sense of security—for ecosystems and for markets.' Campaigners and investors hope the conference will lead to stronger governance—not just symbolic declarations. Without enforceable protections, risks to marine biodiversity and the industries that depend on it will only grow. Stakeholder must decide: continue with business as usual, risking biodiversity collapse, food insecurity, and supply chain disruption—or rethink how the aquaculture sector operates. 'The industry has been talking about risk and resilience for years,' said Boissat. 'But if your entire business model is based on a disappearing input, that's not resilience. That's denial.'
Times
20-05-2025
- Times
Salmon farm loses RSPCA approval over ‘fish-beating' video
Supermarkets are reviewing their contracts with the world's largest supplier of farmed salmon after footage emerged of fish being beaten to death at a site in Scotland. Mowi, a Norwegian company that operates on Loch Harport, on Skye, has been removed from an RSPCA animal welfare scheme after being accused of 18 incidents of alleged cruelty. The incidents were filmed in March by an environmental group, the Green Britain Foundation (GBF), founded by Dale Vince, the renewable energy entrepreneur. The footage purportedly shows Atlantic salmon left to suffocate for more than a minute; a fish's head being crushed by a worker's heel; and some fish being repeatedly beaten. The RSPCA has launched an investigation into the 'extremely upsetting' video and suspended the farm from its
BBC News
20-05-2025
- BBC News
Skye salmon farm suspended by RSPCA over alleged abuse videos
A fish farm on the Isle of Skye has been suspended from an animal welfare scheme after campaigners filmed videos allegedly showing "systemic cruelty" to rights campaigners from the Green Britain Foundation said the footage from the Mowi farm at Loch Harport showed the fish being beaten and suffocated to urged the RSPCA to suspend the company's 54 other salmon farms in Scotland, which are still certified under the charity's Assured labelling said it was fully cooperating with the RSPCA on its investigation, adding that its salmon are well cared for and the footage had been misconstrued. The Green Britain Foundation said its videos showed more than 18 incidents of animal cruelty across multiple days in March 2025. 'Extremely upsetting' The RSPCA is investigating the fish farm rather than SSPCA because the salmon is sold under one of its has now instructed supermarkets to remove Mowi salmon products from their RSPCA said the videos were "extremely upsetting" and it was "totally unacceptable for any animal to be treated in this way".The footage has also been reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency - a government body which can take legal action if welfare standards require that the time a fish spends out of water should "never exceed 15 seconds for a live fish" and that dying fish should be given "a non-recoverable percussive blow to the head of the fish to render it immediately insensible". But the Green Britain Foundation claimed the footage showed fish being left out of the water to suffocate for minutes at a time, and some being beaten several times before they finally Dale Vince said: "This footage of cruelty on a Mowi fish farm is absolutely horrifying. "These are not isolated incidents - this is systematic cruelty showing a complete disregard for animal welfare, for sentient life. "This isn't just a breach of standards - it's a culture of cruelty that has no place in any industry - let alone one claiming to meet RSPCA welfare standards."He urged the RSPCA should "drop Mowi entirely - not just this one farm"."Anything less would be a betrayal of their own standards and the animals they claim to protect," Mr Vince added. 'Humane method' However Mowi Scotland said the Green Britain Foundation was "known for its opposition to farming animals for people to eat". A spokesperson said: "The husbandry staff featured in the footage were removing around 12 poor performing salmon from a large pen holding more than 40,000 healthy salmon. "Our salmon at the farm are in great condition, are looked after and are reared in clean water off the west coast of Scotland."We are fully cooperating with the RSPCA while its team conducts a full investigation. While we do understand that the footage showing these fish being dispatched may be concerning to some people, percussive stun to dispatch fish is the most effective and humane method in these circumstances."They added: "The staff are working on floating pens in what appears to be a very windy day so would be trying to ensure that the fish are stunned as quickly as possible and so some fish received multiple blows, but that is to ensure they are quickly euthanised."Mowi Scotland said it would refresh animal welfare training for its farming teams to ensure they meet RSPCA standards.
