Scottish firm wins go-ahead for blood sampling in Norway's salmon sector
Regulators give Wellfish Tech's non-lethal diagnostics method the green light after trials
Diagnostics company WellFish Tech AS, a subsidiary of Paisely-based WellFish Tech Ltd, has received clearance from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) for non-lethal blood sampling of Atlantic salmon in commercial aquaculture.
The positive determination marks the first time a non-lethal blood sampling method has met Norway's regulatory requirements for welfare documentation, removing a prohibition that had been in place for several years, WellFish Tech said in a press release.
The decision follows a multi-year programme of research and documentation, including two field and laboratory trials conducted specifically to address the welfare evidence Mattilsynet requested.
Cold- and warm-water trials
A cold-water sea cage trial at LetSea AS in Norway, carried out in Spring 2025, tested the method in Atlantic salmon at 5-8°C, conditions representing some of the most demanding circumstances for welfare and wound healing. A parallel controlled warm-water trial at AquaBioTech Group’s facility in Malta provided complementary data at higher temperatures. Both trials demonstrated that the procedure can be performed without compromising fish survival, growth or welfare when carried out by trained personnel following WellFish Tech's standardised protocol.
“We are proud of the rigorous work that underpins this approval,” said Charlie Granfelt, chief executive of WellFish Tech. “This has been a collaborative effort with the scientific community and regulators, with one goal: better fish health. Having a non-lethal diagnostic method formally recognised in Norway is a meaningful step for the industry.”
A spokesperson for Mattilsynet said the Authority emphasises that methods used in commercial aquaculture must be documented as defensible from an animal welfare perspective.
“We consider the submitted documentation to provide a basis for use of this method within the specified conditions.”
Non-lethal testing
Non-lethal blood sampling allows fish health professionals to obtain diagnostic blood samples from living salmon and return them to the production environment, in contrast to conventional methods that require euthanasia. WellFish Tech’s method, which involves sampling from the caudal vein under anaesthesia, provides access to a panel of biochemical biomarkers that offer a real-time view of fish physiological status, information that cannot be obtained through external observation alone.
The clearance applies to Atlantic salmon above 500 g, with a maximum sample volume of 1 mL per fish and a minimum interval of 14 days between repeated samples of the same individual. The method must be performed under the professional responsibility of authorised fish health personnel.
WellFish Tech completed the required protocol revision on May 4, 2026. The updated standard operating procedure is now the governing document for all non-lethal blood sampling activity carried out under the WellFish Tech service.
WellFish Tech was founded as Wellfish Diagnostics by Brian Quinn, professor of ecotoxicology at the University of the West of Scotland’s Aquaculture Health Laboratory, in 2021, and has grown rapidly. It currently employs 26 people, and operates in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Norway, and Canada, while supporting customers beyond those borders.
