400,000 salmon died at Mowi sites in Newfoundland

Mowi Canada East has reported an “abnormal mortality event exceeding ten percent of the stocking” at three locations on Newfoundland’s south coast, affecting approximately 1.7 million Atlantic salmon at Harvey Hill East, Harvey Hill South and Broad Cove in Harbour Breton Bay, according to SalmonBusiness. The reports are dated August 31.

Communications director Ola Helge Hjetland at Mowi told Fish Farming Expert's Norwegian sister site, Kyst.no, that the number of dead fish is about 400,000.

The company has stated that dead fish are being removed, and that some of the remaining fish are being slaughtered while the investigation into the cause continues, under the supervision of the provincial fisheries department.

Tough year

Mowi told local Canadian media that mortality events occur regularly in livestock farming and described 2025 as an "environmentally tough year".

The incident comes after another incident on July 20 at the Little Burdock Cove site, where more than 10% of the stock, approximately 17,600 fish, died during a period of increased water temperatures and reduced oxygen levels.

Mowi has been required to report mortality events in Newfoundland and Labrador since 2019, when approximately 2.6 million fish died at sites in Fortune Bay and several licences were temporarily suspended before being later reinstated.