Icelandic salmon mortality reaches 3% in June

More than 745,000 farmed salmon died in Icelandic aquaculture operations in June, marking the highest monthly mortality rate since December 2024. This figure represents approximately 3% of the salmon species being held at sea during that period.

Karl Steinar Óskarsson, head of the aquaculture division at the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST), described the mortality level as unusual. MAST attributed the significant losses to two specific incidents. In the Eastfjords, young salmon released into a farming site had not fully adapted to seawater. In the Westfjords, fish were injured and died while being pumped from a hatchery into a well boat during transfer.

Following these incidents, mortality rates fell to approximately 1% in July. MAST noted that the June deaths did not indicate any criminal offenses had occurred.