Norwegian Salmon Deaths Spark Criticism

Over 54 million salmon died in Norwegian fish cages last year, and the total loss amounted to 67 million farmed salmon, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries.

This corresponds to a loss of 16-18 per cent, according to the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research.

‘That is three million fewer dead fish than in 2024, but the risk of poor welfare remains high in most production areas,’ says Ellen Sofie Grefsrud, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Research.

Fewer fish in the facilities could help, Grefsrud believes.

Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and the Sea, Marianne Sivertsen Naess, takes the situation seriously.

‘It should be profitable to operate with low environmental impact and good animal welfare. The government is now working to reduce mortality to 5 per cent,’ she says.

Last year, fish farms in Norway produced over 200,000 tonnes more fish than in 2024. Most of the increase is due to salmon.

^{Cover photo: 54 million farmed salmon were discarded after dying in Norwegian cages last year. Archive photo. Photo: Berit Roald/NTB/TT}