National escape surveillance launched
The rapid expansion of salmon farming and documented genetic changes in several populations of wild salmon have both contributed to a need fro more information about how many fish really escape from the farm sites along the coast.
The Ministry of Industry and Fisheries (IMR) therefore wants to see a substantial increase in efforts to monitor escaped farmed salmon. Monitoring has been conducted since 1989, but with few resources. The need for more accurate information has grown over the years and therefore it is necessary to scale up and coordinate the planning, implementation and reporting, argues IMR.
The new national monitoring program for escapees has a budget of NOK 7 million.
