The concerted efforts from fish farmers and authorities to reduce the number of fish escapes has given significant results: The number of escapes in Norway has been more than halved in one year.
The Minister of Fisheries and Costal Affairs of Norway, Helga Pedersen, said in a press release today that she is very pleased to see that the concerted efforts from authorities and fish farmers to reduce the number of fish escapes has given such significant results. The Minister added that she has the impression that the industry in general is taking this issue most seriously.
In 2007, 404 000 salmon and trout escaped, compared to 935 000 in 2006. The number of escapes so far this year also shows a reduction compared to the same period in 2007. The total number of salmon along the Norwegian cost is estimated to be around 220 million individuals, whereas the number of trout is estimated to 25 million.
Although there is still a way to go in order to reach the goal of minimum escapes, these number shows that the industry is heading in the right direction. For Marine Harvest, environmental impact is a key concern in all our activities, and we are continuously working to strengthen the focus on environmental concerns. Our recent partnership with WWF-Norway will help us further in our work for a sustainable aquaculture.
