Norway salmon farmer fined £106,000 for leak that killed 96,000 fish
Grieg Seafood has been fined NOK 1.4 million (£106,000) for the release of chlorine that led to the deaths of 96,000 salmon that were due for slaughter.
The incident occurred at a processing plant in Kvenvikveien in Alta in Finnmark, northern Norway, in August 2021.
State broadcaster NRK reported that an employee who did not have sufficient training was given the responsibility of refilling the tanks. Sixteen thousand litres of chlorine leaked into the sea, and 96,000 salmon in holding cages died of suffocation.
Immediate changes
The police in Finnmark believe that Grieg Seafood has broken both the Pollution Act and the Animal Welfare Act.
After the incident, Grieg Seafood Finnmark implemented several immediate measures to prevent such a leak from happening again.
“This is a very serious incident. As it stands now, it is primarily a fish welfare tragedy. During the three-year period each salmon is under our responsibility, we constantly work to ensure the best possible fish health and welfare. It hurts to think about what our fish in the holding cages have gone through as a result of the leak,” said Vidar Aamo Nikolaisen, regional director of Grieg Seafood Finnmark when the incident occurred.
