Site Details: Loch Laxford

Badcall Salmon House
Scourie, Lairg
Sutherland
IV27 4TH
Operator: Loch Duart Ltd
Water type: Seawater

Average female lice per fish

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Salmon Scotland mortality

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Cumulative mortality over full production cycle

Loch Laxford Production cycle end date: Apr 2018
Total losses: 6.5 %

Loch Laxford Production cycle end date: Jul 2019
Total losses: 40.6 %

Loch Laxford Production cycle end date: Jul 2021
Total losses: 25.6 %

Loch Laxford Production cycle end date: Jun 2023
Total losses: 47.9 %

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Fish Health Inspectorate mortality

Date:
25/07/22-31/07/22
Mortality:
17,473
Mortality Rate:
4.94%
Reason given: Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
First report for site in 2022. Business correspondent contacted. Mortalities have come down wk 31. Histology samples have shown that harmful plankton insult was primary cause. PD was confirmed on site in mid-May 2022 but no issues observed with it on site until this event. FHI to monitor.
Date:
01/08/22-07/08/22
Mortality:
13,574
Mortality Rate:
4.03%
Reason given: Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
2nd week of notification
FHI to visit week 29/8/22
Date:
08/08/22-14/08/22
Mortality:
37,474
Mortality Rate:
10.05%
Reason given: Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
3rd week of notification
FHI confirmed site vist on the 30/8/2022, remote inspection to be conducted 25/8/2022. (Mortality rates and numbers amended on 28/11/2022 following submissions from the Business)
Date:
15/08/22-21/08/22
Mortality:
13,108
Mortality Rate:
4.51%
Reason given: Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
4th week of notification.
FHI to vist 30/08/2022.
Date:
22/08/22-28/08/22
Mortality:
26,062
Mortality Rate:
9.40%
Reason given: Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
5th week of notification.
FHI visited on 31/8/22 and diagnostic samples taken (case 20220369). Awaiting results.
Date:
29/08/22-04/09/22
Mortality:
12,684
Mortality Rate:
5.05%
Reason given: Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
6th week of notification
Site inspected and diagnostic sample taken 31/08/22
Date:
05/09/22-11/09/22
Mortality:
5,868
Mortality Rate:
2.46%
Reason given: Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
7th week of notification
Site inspected and diagnostic sample taken 31/08/22
Date:
12/09/22-18/09/22
Mortality:
3,421
Mortality Rate:
1.47%
Reason given: Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
FHI visited on 31/8/22 and diagnostic samples taken (case 20220368). AGD, salmon gill pox virus, Paranucleospora theridion, piscine reovirus. SAV identified from samples.
Date:
19/09/22-25/09/22
Mortality:
2,520
Mortality Rate:
1.10%
Reason given: Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Severe gill pathology suggestive of an acute environmental challenge. Confirmed PD diagnosis.
Mortalities decreasing from previous week. FHI visited on 31/8/22 and diagnostic samples taken (case 20220368). AGD, salmon gill pox virus, Paranucleospora theridion, piscine reovirus. SAV identified from samples. FHI to monitor.

Source

Inspection reports

Case Number: 2020-0389


Download Waste is collected by DK Transport at the shorebase before being transported to Grays Composting.
Fish came on from landcatch.
FW treatment conducted in April 2020 for AGD. Mortalities reduced in the following weeks.
No other treatments.
Fish are health screened every 2 weeks by company biologist.
FVG report from July 2020 identified PD in current stock, however it is not causing any significant mortalities as yet.
Site only conducts deadhaul harvests which are transported to MOWI's processing plant in Fort William. This is due to be reviewed when companies own processing plant in Dingwall begins operations towards the end of the year.
Site is currently stocked with Ballen wrasse (both wildcaught and farmed). Farmed wrasse were transferred from Otter Ferry.
Morts attributed to AGD. Average lice numbers reported to be 10 all stages caligus. Increase levels of caligus observed on the fish. It is hoped the wrasse on site will bring the numbers down. [Original PDF]

Case Number: 2022-0368


Download AGD was primarily the cause of mortality peaks at beginning of last cycle - Wks 40, 41, 43 and 44 in 2020, mortality of 1.59%
(5,951 fish), 1.59% (5,845 fish), 1.24% (4,427 fish) and 1.82% (6,394 fish).
This year - April started to see changes in bloodwork to see PD. No noticeable changes to stock apart from when this water quality issue has arose recently - gills affected. Diet changed when diagnosed, functional feed - more digestible, less oil etc.
Report by the company due to increasing mortality on site (sample date 27/07/2022) stated that histology samples have shown harmful plankton insult was the primary cause of mortality.
Site has had 2 rounds of freshwater treatment between 14th-25th July. Increased mortality was not observed until after the first freshwater treatment. To try and reduce mortalities the site is routinely cleaning nets, feeding in the morning only, reduced feeding, low stock, swabbing every week for AGD (in case of needing further treatments). Aeration is also on site should it be required.
Salmosan and SLICE were given earlier in the year. SLICE 2nd -8th FEB 2022. Salmosan 18th-22nd April 2022.
Fish only in withdrawal for TMS (tricane) at the moment.
No concerns with wrasse, no increased mortality.
Remote inspection carried out 25/08/2022 by , supervised by . Diagnostic inspection and sampling carried out
31/08/2022 by , supervised by . [Original PDF]

Case Number: 2023-0047


Download Salmon came on from Duartmore and have generally performed well throughout most of the cycle. Mortalities increased during the autum of 22 and was attributed to AGD excerbated by environmental insult.
Only medicinal treatments were a SLICE in Feb 22 and Salmosan in April 22. All other treatments have been FW (July,
October and Novemeber 22). Site reported good clearance of lice following each treatment.
Site received 5,832 farmed wrassed in July 21 (58% mortality since input) and 8,676 wildcaught wrasse in August/September
21 (50% mortality since input).
Mortalities above the reporting threshold:
Wk38 2022: 2,520 (1.1%)
WK37: 3,421 (1.47%)
Wk36:5,868 (2.46%)
Wk35: 12,684 (5.05%)
Wk34: 26,062 (9.4%)
Wk33: 13,108 (4.51%)
Wk32: 32,474 (10.05%)
Wk31: 13,574 (4.03%)
Wk30: 17,473 (4.94%)
Attributed to poor gill heath on site and positive AGD diagnosis exacerbated by lice treatments.
General population of fish on site appeared in good physical health on inspection. Some runts were observed across the site, but were not moribund. One wrasse mortality was observed during the inspection.
Fish sampled for VMD appeared in good health externally and internally. Fish are due to begin being harvested in the coming weeks.
No movements on or off site have occurred since the last inspection. [Original PDF]

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