Suspicion of AGD at Bakkafrost site

The possible detection is not connected to any gill pathology nor mortality, and there is no impact on fish health or fish welfare. PCR analysis carried out by the Faroese Food- and Veterinary Authorities on routine samples from the Bakkafrost Farming site in Fuglafjørður, resulted in suspicions of the presence of Neoparamoeba perurans, the agent known to be able to cause amoeba gill disease (AGD).

Bakkafrost and the other farmers in the Faroe Islands work with the Faroese Food- and veterinary authority to avoid the N.perurans to other farming sites. In recent years, the farming companies and the authorities have put a lot of work into maintaining the good biological status in the Faroe Islands. The intention is to manage the risks in a way creating good biological environment for the salmon. Our hope and expectation is that these routine analyses together with our preventative procedures will reveal one of the strengths of the Faroese Veterinary model.

There has been performed surveillance tests for the N. perurans during the last year in sea sites in the Faroes, all with negative results. For safety reasons, the harvest of the fish will be intensified and a possible treatment with Hydrogen Peroxide will be considered to prevent proliferation and disease. The fish has a harvestable size and was prior to the suspicion planned to be harvested from October 2013.

The site in question has about 1.1 million fish, with an average weight of about 6.0 Kg wfe and is thus ready for harvesting. Bakkafrost will send out a stock announcement, when the final results are available from the site in Fuglafjørður, confirming or denying the suspicion of the N. perurans.