Record high release of smolt in 2011

Vaccination of this generation started in September 2010 and 11.8 million vaccine doses in September were calculated for vaccination of this years’ S-1’s. The turnover of vaccine doses will never give an exact picture of the actual number of smolt released into sea cages, but it gives a strong indication. There is always an uncertainty related to how much S 0’s versus S1’s that are vaccinated in September and if some vaccine ordered in May, are used for vaccination of S0’s starting in June. Other additional factors are the possibility of un-used vaccine and the variation in loss rate of smolt from vaccination to sea entry.

The historic deviation between the actual number of smolt released, reported by Kontali Analysis, and our figures based on vaccine sales, has never been higher than +4.5%.In May the total sales of vaccines to salmon ended at 9.2 million doses, and we have no indication that vaccines ordered in May are intended for vaccination of S0’s in June. Based on our vaccine sales figures and the reservations mentioned, the release of S1’s might end at 155 -158 million smolt in 2011. In that case the increase will exceed 11 % compared to the release of 139 million smolt in 2010. In May, sales of the PD-vaccine were 1.8 million doses. On an annual basis the sales of PD-vaccine are now at 96.2 million vaccine doses. The similar figure for ISA-vaccines are 5.3 million doses.Sales of vaccines for farmed cod this month were 0.4 million doses, down from 1.5 million doses in May 2010, and 2.7 million doses on an annual basis.