Report shows dramatically bad situation for sea trout along Norwegian coast

Frozen Trout

Norway

Published Apr 8, 2022

Tridge summary

A new report from the Scientific Council for Salmon Management shows that things are dramatically bad for sea trout along the coast. Salmon lice from the aquaculture industry are the main culprits. The council has mapped the entire 1251 sea trout watercourses, from the border with Sweden and all the way to the border with Russia. The condition of many of the stocks is poor or very poor, and salmon lice are the biggest culprit.

Original content

Almost 40 percent of the sea trout stocks were classified as being in poor or very poor condition or have been lost. 47 percent of the total negative impact on sea trout in all classified watercourses came from salmon lice. The situation is worst on the stretch from Jæren in the south to Troms in the north, and it is related to the fact that these are areas with a lot of salmon farming in open cages. - Loss of nature is one of the biggest challenges of our time. There is now more than good enough documentation that the aquaculture industry's use of open cages that leak lice in huge quantities into the wild is not environmentally sustainable. Sea trout are dying in large numbers, and some stocks are being exterminated by this industry. The situation is depressing. How long will they be allowed to hold on like this? asks Bjarte Erstad, second deputy leader of the Norwegian Hunters' and Fishermen's Association. He calls for political courage to tackle this unsustainable situation. - ...

Source: Bondebladet