Mowi is apparently the world's largest producer of farmed salmon. At least they were, until 27,000 of their fish escaped off the coast of Norway. Now they're offering a $45-per-fish bounty for their safe return.
After stormy weather damaged a fish pen in the waters off the city of Dyrøy, the joyful salmon swam to their freedom in the Norwegian Sea.
"Normally, fish farmers are only allowed to conduct recapture operations within a 500-metre zone around the facility in the event of an escape," said Vegard Oen Hatten of the country's Directorate of Fisheries. "However, based on the potential scale of this incident, Mowi was instructed to extend recapture efforts beyond this zone."
From The Guardian:
Mowi said it was "a serious and very regrettable situation" and that fish caught by registered fishers could be delivered to fish "reception centres" around the area in return for the 500 kroner bounty.
Escaped salmon pose huge environmental problems, campaigners say. They endanger wild salmon by reducing their genetic diversity, increasing infection from sea lice and intensify competition for spawning grounds.
In Norway, which exports 1.2m tonnes of farmed salmon a year, the problem is such that last summer wild salmon numbers dropped to a historic low, resulting in the closure of 33 rivers to salmon fishing. This summer 42 rivers and three fjords have been proposed for closure.
"27,000 farmed salmon on the run is a disaster for wild salmon," said Pål Mugaas, a spokesperson for Norske Lakseelver (Norwegian Salmon Rivers).
Previously:
• Curious great white shark follows kayakers fishing off San Francisco Bay Area coast (video)
• World's greatest fishing show blooper reel
• Breaching whale capsizes fishing boat (video)
