The company expects to harvest 3,000 tonnes of salmon this year © Proximar
As the company explained in a stock exchange announcement: “In preparation for an upcoming fish transfer, an empty tank was being filled during the night. Due to malfunctioning automated valves, the operation was handled in manual mode. However, due to human error and breach of procedures, the level in the pump sump went below the minimum set point, leading the circulation pumps to stop.
“Following this, the oxygen level in two tanks fell below critical levels, leading to mortality. The emergency oxygen was activated as it was supposed to, but did not supply the required levels. The cause of this is being investigated.”
The loss of thw 170,000 fish means that the company now expects to harvest 550 fewer tonnes of salmon in the final quarter of the year, equating to losses of around NOK 12 million (€1.04 million).
The company adds that their current bottleneck in terms of achieving good harvest weights is related to their lack of available tank capacity, so some of these losses could be recouped.
“The loss of fish will free up such tank capacity going forward and permit changes in harvest plan to optimise production and increase average harvest weight achievements. In addition, it is expected to positively impact price achievement. Preliminary estimates by the production team indicates a positive impact on harvest volume of approx. 200 tonnes, reducing the net effect to approx. 350 tonnes,” they stated.
As a result, the company now expects to harvest a total of around 3,000 tonnes in 2025.
Meanwhile they add that the repairs on their last biofilter are now going according to plan, meaning that they will finally be able to resume the grow-out process at full capacity by mid-June.
