Concerned over farmed salmon runaways

“What is most important is that we offer to scan these rivers in question and if we find farmed salmon they are taken out,” said Daniel Jakobsson, director of business development at salmon farming company Arctic Fish, in response to questions about the release of farmed salmon from a sea cage in Kvígindisdalur valley in Patreksfjörður, revealed on August 21.

As mbl.is recently reported, the number of cases of farmed salmon being caught by salmon fishermen is increasing rapidly, with suspicions suggesting that salmon are native to farmed salmon from Patreksfjörður.

Article on Iceland Monitor

A lot of farmed salmon in Blanda river

“We try to reduce the mishap that happened there, of course,” continues Jakobsson, adding that the scan he discusses was successfully applied in Norway.

“They have companies that have been involved in this and are willing to do this and to go about it quickly and efficiently. Of course the Directorate of Fisheries is responsible for this, and it is the one that would carry it out. Then there are the fishing rights holders who evaluate whether they want to have this done,” the director says.

Try to ensure it does not happen again

He says the scan can minimize the damage of the owners of said rivers, “I think the Directorate of Fisheries has discussed this with the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Fisheries Association and I think they’re just waiting for answers from them on what they want to do. One would now assume that they would want to carry this out so hopefully something will happen in the very next few days,” concludes Daniel Jakobsson.

Arctic Fish said in a press release that it regrets that farmed salmon escaped from the company’s cages in Patreksfjörður.

“This is a matter of great concern to us. That is why we have taken action to mitigate the potential negative effects of the release. We believe we know how the holes formed and are now working to ensure that this does not happen again.”