Site Details: Gob a Bharra

Stronachullin
Tarbert Road
ArdrIshaig, Argyll
PA30 8ET
Operator: Bakkafrost Scotland
Water type: Seawater

Average female lice per fish

Source

Salmon Scotland mortality

Source

Cumulative mortality over full production cycle

Gob a Bharra Production cycle end date: May 2019
Total losses: 16.7 %

Gob a Bharra Production cycle end date: Apr 2021
Total losses: 3.7 %

Gob a Bharra Production cycle end date: Jun 2023
Total losses: 27.9 %

Gob a Bharra Production cycle end date: Aug 2025
Total losses: 14.4 %

Source

Fish Health Inspectorate mortality

Date:
08/08/22-14/08/22
Mortality:
7,191
Mortality Rate:
2.05%
Reason given: Gill-health Related
Gill-health Related
Post-mechanical treatment mortality; Monitor and treat as required
Post sea lice treatment with the hydolicer , gill health issues excacerbatting the challenges. FW treatment for AGD planned FHI to monitor.
Date:
15/08/22-21/08/22
Mortality:
8,527
Mortality Rate:
2.48%
Reason given: Gill-health Related; Sea lice related (Post-mechanical treatment)
Gill-health Related; Sea lice related (Post-mechanical treatment)
Targeted harvests; Monitor and treat as required (FW scheduled wk 34)
unable to contact site for further information. FHI to follow up.
Date:
22/08/22-28/08/22
Mortality:
10,884
Mortality Rate:
3.24%
Reason given: Gill-health Related; Sea lice related (Post-mechanical treatment)
Gill-health Related; Sea lice related (Post-mechanical treatment)
FW completed week 34. Monitor & treat as required
Post treatment related mortalitiy. Mortality levels remain high and increasing. Inspectors in area week 10.10.22. Should problem persist an inspection will be conducted then.
Date:
29/08/22-04/09/22
Mortality:
6,867
Mortality Rate:
2.11%
Reason given: Gill Health Realated
Gill Health Realated
FW completed wek 34. Monitor & treat as required & targeted harvests
FHI to monitor. FHI scheduled to be in area WK 41
Date:
05/09/22-11/09/22
Mortality:
8,050
Mortality Rate:
2.69%
Reason given: Gill-Health Related
Gill-Health Related
Monitor & treat as required
FHI to monitor. FHI scheduled to be in area WK 41
Date:
12/09/22-18/09/22
Mortality:
7,188
Mortality Rate:
2.46%
Reason given: Gill-Health Related
Gill-Health Related
FW scheduled by wk 41
Mortality level consistent, FHI to monitor - FHI in area wk41
Date:
19/09/22-25/09/22
Mortality:
5,709
Mortality Rate:
2.01%
Reason given: Gill-Health Related
Gill-Health Related
FW scheduled by wk 41
Mortality level consistent, FHI to monitor - FHI to visit wk41.
Date:
26/09/22-02/10/22
Mortality:
5,988
Mortality Rate:
2.15%
Reason given: Gill-Health Related
Gill-Health Related
FW wk 40
Mortality level consistent, FHI to monitor - FHI to visit wk41.
Date:
03/10/22-09/10/22
Mortality:
6,303
Mortality Rate:
2.31%
Reason given: Gill-Health Related
Gill-Health Related
FW wk 41
Site inspected 13/10/2022 (case no. 2022-0488). Diagnostic samples taken, awaiting results. FHI to monitor
Date:
09/12/24-15/12/24
Mortality:
1,857
Mortality Rate:
1.31%
Reason given: Maturation; Bacterial Disease (Furunculosis)
Maturation; Bacterial Disease (Furunculosis)
FHI to monitor
Date:
16/12/24-22/12/24
Mortality:
1,417
Mortality Rate:
1.02%
Reason given: Maturation, Gill Health Related
Maturation, Gill Health Related
Monitor, removal of grilse
FHI to monitor
Date:
23/12/24-29/12/24
Mortality:
1,732
Mortality Rate:
1.25%
Reason given: Maturation, Gill Health Related
Maturation, Gill Health Related
Monitor, removal of grilse
FHI to monitor
Date:
12/05/25-18/05/25
Mortality:
977
Mortality Rate:
1.07%
Reason given: Bacterial Disease (Furunculosis)
Bacterial Disease (Furunculosis)
Harvests
FHI to monitor
Date:
19/05/25-25/05/25
Mortality:
3,055
Mortality Rate:
3.39%
Reason given: Bacterial Disease (Furunculosis)
Bacterial Disease (Furunculosis)
Harvests
FHI to monitor.
Date:
07/07/25-13/07/25
Mortality:
3,393
Mortality Rate:
2.3%
Reason given: Viral Disease (CMS)
Viral Disease (CMS)
Harvests
FHI to monitor.
Date:
14/07/25-20/07/25
Mortality:
3,727
Mortality Rate:
2.59%
Reason given: Viral Disease (CMS)
Viral Disease (CMS)
Harvests
FHI to monitor.
Date:
21/07/25-27/07/25
Mortality:
1,608
Mortality Rate:
1.12%
Reason given: Viral Disease (CMS)
Viral Disease (CMS)
Harvests
Mortality decreasing from previous week. FHI to monitor.

Source

Inspection reports

Case Number: 2020-0327


Download Lumpfish mortality - 7.46% since input.
Paper work completed on the 28/08/2020, however site visit could not be conducted until 21/10/2020.
Vmd fish appeared healthy when sampled.
Site thermometer used as case inspectors not working [Original PDF]

Case Number: 2021-0031


Download Inspection conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams, no physical inspection conducted at site.
Two initial notification submitted in February 2021 (MSe250221SAL1 and MSe220221SAL1). During the latest event a seal was observed in the cage, and in the earlier event a hole was discovered by the net cleaning team. No fish were thought to have escaped during either event.
The company used to use a person with a MML who was deployed to sites around Loch Fyne when required. He will no longer be used due to a change in law regarding MML's
The site now has a license to use an ADD, required during a recent policy change.
Weather before both incidents was windy, but the wind was not enough to cause an issues by itself.
Fish will be harvested on Saturday from cage 9. Most recent notification.
About 38,533 lumpfish were input on the site. Left with about 2,000 over the site. Unsure exactly how the LUM have died.
Maybe due to increase procedures around within the cage e.g. net washing etc. Estimate taken from observing cleaner fish on the sorting table during grading. No moribund fish were observed during the cycle. TSSC biology team were notified but there were no moribund fish to sample.
LUM hatchery reared from Ocean Matters.
Although initial notifications for escapes were received, it is thought no fish have escaped.
All lice treatments using Hydrolicer this year, Optilicer also used last year. Lice numbers have not caused any issues.
Mse220221SAL1 - cage 10, most south westerly cage. Initially net lifted to stop fish escaping. Then a patch was placed over the hole by yhte dive team, using nylon thread to secure it. Fish moved to another cage (cage 5) as the hole was big and they had capacity on site. Hole possibly caused by the net rubbing on a bridle during bad weather (manager is 99% sure this was the cause). The bridle rope was the only thing close to the hole. Edges of the hole were frayed suggesting that it had rubbed on something. Fairly sure there was no snag as the hole did not have clean edges that you would expect from a snag. FNC8 system (flying net cleaner, distributed by Akva Group) is remote controlled and comes equipped with HD cameras and lights to see any damage. One cage is cleaned every week during which the nets are checked for damage. FNC8 travels between sites in the area (disinfection takes place between sites). External company (Inverlussa) comes in to inspect and adjust bridles at end of cycle. The company has attended since escape.
Seal pro nets will be used in the next cycle. Always been many seals on the site. They have had problems on and off for several years. They did have a contractor with an MML but no longer due to policy change.
MSe250221SAL1: possibly caused by seal. The edges of the hole were not as frayed at the first event. Little significant boat activity close to cage, so unlikely to be caused by boat handling. The hole was small but so was the seal. The seal swam out of the cage once the edge of the net was dropped and the divers chased it out. Patch placed over the hole and stitched onto net using nylon thread. Fish will be harvested out of the cage by Saturday (20/03/21), the fish will be counted off the site. Should have numbers next week. The net will not be used on site again as they are switching to seal pro nets.
All nets have seal blinds at the bottom
Although cleaner fish were on side during time when the breaches in containment occurred, it is thought very unlikely that any escaped as there are very few left in the cages and both the salmon and cleaner fish were very low in the water column and the holes were closer to the surface. [Original PDF]

Case Number: 2022-0082


Download Records inspected remotely on 22/03/2022 by .
AGD confirmed on site by PCR in 2022 but does not appear to be causing issues currently.
Fish difficult to see as they were remaining deep in the water. Those visible were shoaling as expected and appeared in very good condition with no moribund/lethargic fish observed during inspection. Fish taken for VMD sampling appeared in good health upon internal examination. [Original PDF]

Case Number: 2022-0488


Download [Original PDF]

Case Number: 2025-0038


Download On 24th November 2023, the sites barge sunk due to a critical malfunction after 25 years at sea. As there was fuel on board, the site moved all 10 pens of stock to Strondoir Bay (FS1019) so all remaining fuel and potential contaminants could be removed safely from the sunken vessel. The site was then restocked with its original generation of fish from Strondoir Bay on
20/05/2024. On 16th August 2024 the sunken barge was lifted, prior to this the site was fallowed as lifting the barge could have dislodged a lot of silt which may have caused gill irritation to the fish had the site remained stocked. Between November and
December of 2024 Gob A Bharra received a transfer of 2023 S0s from Ardcastle (FS0818) and Quarry Point (FS0698), which remain on site at present.
Upon inspection of the stocks fish were observed shoaling well and responding positively to hand feeding. Approximaly a dozen runts were observed across the site during the inspection. 7 moribund fish were also observed across the site with what appeared to be winter lesions to the flanks. Mortality on site the previous day was 0.02%.
Fish sampled for VMD appeared healthy both internally and externally.
The site shore base recently installed a new ensiler which now ensiles waste from all 4 sites which opperate from this location.
Prior to the new ensiler, waste was collected as whole fish by Billy Bowie.
The sites most recent treatment was an Alphamax treatment which concluded on 08/01/2025. The site used optomease as an antistatic for sea lice counts and health checks. [Original PDF]

Source