Site Details: Portree
Portree
IV51 9BD
Water type: Seawater
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Cumulative mortality over full production cycle
Production cycle end date: Mar 2018
Total losses: 27.9 %
Production cycle end date: Jun 2020
Total losses: 14.9 %
Production cycle end date: Jun 2022
Total losses: 30.6 %
Production cycle end date: Apr 2024
Total losses: 34.7 %
Fish Health Inspectorate mortality
03/01/22-09/01/22
3,795
1.15%
17/01/22-23/01/22
5,541
1.71%
07/02/22-13/02/22
3,533
1.13%
14/02/22-21/02/22
3,224
1.04%
21/02/22-27/02/22
3,896
1.27%
28/08/23-03/09/23
175,115
31.14%
04/09/23-10/09/23
12,001
3.10%
11/09/23-17/09/23
13,462
1.41%
11/12/23-17/12/23
3,733
1.09%
25/12/23-31/12/23
3,393
1.01%
01/01/24-07/01/24
4,789
1.44%
08/01/24-14/01/24
7,244
2.22%
15/01/24-21/01/24
5,653
1.77%
22/01/24-28/01/24
7,823
2.49%
29/01/24-04/02/24
5,895
2.36%
05/02/24-11/02/24
9,331
3.95%
12/02/24-18/02/24
8,349
3.68%
19/02/24-25/02/24
1,435
1.59%
Inspection reports
Case Number: 2020-0117
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Fish went to sea in September 2018.
11% stocking of lump fish - from Anglesey and ROI.- stocked primarily due to farmed origin. hydroliced - end feb reported 98-100% clearance.
Movement book input of lumpfish, 11/12/2019 from ROI not in movement book. Added during visit.
Morts ensiled on barge, removed by Ferguson. 5 removals this cycle. Taken to Energen Biogas in Cumbernauld.
Live harvest to Arnish
Morts,2020; wk 7 768 fish 0.14%, wk8 2091, 0.25%, wk9 1005, 0.20% (post treatment), wk 10 422, 0.09%
23/9-29/9/19 last Slice treatment only on Portree due to different discharge consents as Portree Outer is a new site with new consents,
Routine health checks every 2 weeks by own health team.
Unable to inspect pens due to adverse weather. Fish had been collected from yesterdays harvest and stored at the site shore base for flesh quality sampling by TSSC and EWOS. Pen numbers were recorded. Samples were taken from these fish for
VMD sampling. [Original PDF]
Case Number: 2021-0004
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Fish were moved onto site in September 2020 and were treated with FW during transfer and SLICE 8 weeks post-transfer.
Site did not experience high levels of predation pressure during last cycle with only a handful of seals observed around the site. However, this cycle there has been a significant increase in the local seal population, with around 24-30 individuals observed.
This increasing seal presence has resulted in an increase in seal damage observed across the site. At the end of Wk53 (2020) a seal was observed in Pen 3. The mortalities for that week are attributed to seal damage, with the following week (Wk1 2021) capturing the mortalities caused as a result of the seal entering the pen.
Stock were removed from the affected pen on 05/01/2021 to a different cage, leaving Pen 3 empty.
Site has since replaced all STAR nets on site with SealPro nets on all cages.
Mortalities over the reporting threshold:
25/05/2020 - 1.26% (Plankton blooms attributed to increased PGD on site, combined with mechanical treatment losses)
01/06/2020 - 1.28% (Post treatment losses)
15/06/2020 - 2.69% (Site undergoing fallowing)
28/12/2020 - 1.52% (Seal damage)
04/01/2021 - 1.76% (Seal damage combined with handling losses while fish were being transferred into SealPro nets)
Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, this inspection was conducted remotely. A physical inspection of the site was not possible.
CNA documents submitted to FHI for inspection 18/06/2021. [Original PDF]
Case Number: 2021-0383
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Increased mortalities at site due to jellyfish, plankton and associated gill health issues.
30/08 - 05/09/21 = 18,687 (3.66%) - Site has been found to be positive for CMS. PGD and anaemia prevalent (wk 33). Gill issue exacerbated by jellyfish/plankton blooms.
06/09 - 12/09/2021 = 25,482 (5.17%) - Some cages have been harvested to reduce biomass on site and fish are scheduled to undergo a FW treatment in the coming weeks to try and improve gill health on the site.
13/09 - 19/09/2021 = 29,321 (6.28%) - The site has had a freshwater treatment and the fish seem to have reacted well.
20/09 - 26/09/2021 = 9,076 (2.15%)
Site currently harvesting live fish to Marybank in Stornoway, targeting worst affected cages.
Fish vet group visit 6/10/21 - this will be there 3rd visit to look at current issues on site. Reporting; Zooplankton, sea gooseberries, moon, crystal and lions mane jellyfish, cyanea sp and phialedla and other hydrozoa. Blooms have been observed onsite for many weeks starting in August and only clearing now.
SLICE on input every 8 weeks for first 10 months until June 2021. FW and mechanical treatments since then. Freshwater treatment at both sites just completed (three hour treatment for gill issues).
Normal practice to ensile waste on site. With increased morts currently have had to use Fergusons boat to remove some fish off whole to Mosspark or Dunfermline.
Fish input 1/9/2020 - Russell burn, Harris lochs. Fish moved off site to West Strome in Jan 2021. Risk assessment completed.
Dec 2020 - seal breached cage 3 at Portree. Replaced all nets with seal pro nets which have stopped seal issues experienced earlier in the cycle. Also seal blinds on nets. ADD on site but not used and would need to seek approval is required.
Lice figures peaked at 5.29 adult females 8/9/21, hydrolicer used and dropped to 0.95 for 17/9/21. Numbers had increased as they delayed lice treatments due to poor gill health over the summer. Last count 26/9/21 was 1.09 adult female. A FW treatment has been undertaken since then. Hydrolicer planned for next week.
Lumpfish losses 12.4% since input Feb-April 2021 from Ocean Matters. Attributed to general background losses.
Mortality levels have reduced significantly since freshwater treatment and only a few moribund fish observed. Four fish removed from pen 3 for diagnostic sampling as this pen had the highest mortality (~ 30%).
Paperwork by , Site inspection by & , VMD sampling by , diagnostic sampling by under supervision of [Original PDF]
Case Number: 2023-0338
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Peaks in mortality - 2021: Wks 44 to 50 mainly due to treatment losses. 2022: Wks 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8 due to gill health issues and treatment losses
Peak in adult female lice wk 42 2021 - 2.18
Most recent freshwater treatment / FLS (hydrolicer) - 07/07/2023 - 11/07/2023
SLICE 19/06/03 - 27/06/2023
Health surveillance - pathogen - 26/07/2023 - traces of PD and piscine orthoreovirus (HSMI)
Another health report - wellfish diagnostics - traces of PD and some gill issues and 'mild bacterial challenge'
During physical inspection of the pens, a couple of moribunds were observed in 5 pens. These were taken out and disposed of by site staff. Lice numbers correlated with those reported however some fish such as poor-doers had a heavier lice load than the rest of the general population which had very few. A freshwater/FLS treatment is due to be carried out the following week
(week 32) to reduce the overall lice population currently on site. No evidence of seal damage was seen during the physical inspection.
VMD samples were taken and fish sampled appeared healthy both externally and internally.
Inspection had to be changed to a REG due to the water temperature being above 14 degrees C - this was the first day this year that the site has been above 14 degrees.
Update 28/08/23 . Discussion with site manager and area manager regarding biosecurity during mortality removal, looking at points highlighted in a video submitted by third party. Improvements had been made to biosecurity following the videos being shared. The site has updated procedures on site to include a bin with disinfectant to clean the brail net in between cages during mortality removal. The mortality transport part of the procedure was also discussed. It was noted in the video that the bin lids had not been secured during transport, however the bins were not full and the weather was calm. The procedure states that when bins are full the lids will be secured. The site manager confirmed that lids are also put on if the weather is not as calm. These points will be checked at the next inspection. [Original PDF]
Case Number: 2023-0437
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Site visited following the report of a mortality event on site by the operator business
Aeration present on site and has been running since April, will run until Nov. Looking to install permanent water circulation system
Solmaris corona (plankton) identified and suspected to have caused mortality. Reportedly identified at Greshornish. Fish moved off site due to this species of jellyfish about 2-3 months before day of inspection.
Mortality was reportedly low up until the event. Cage 2 was slightly higher than usual.
Mortality was on the way up in cage 2. Large scale mortality observed on Monday 28th August in all cages. Cameras discovered the morts at the bottom of the cages.
Bakkaness vessel bought onto site (mortality processing vessel). Work boats and well boats all used on the site. Up to ten vessels present at any site, up to 50-60 staff involved (usually 7 staff).
Uplifts used to remove fish. These discharge into nets and then lifted into mortality tubs.
All morts processed on the Bakkaness. Morts macerated and then ensiled on boat.
wk 30: 0.21%, 1,215 fish, wk 31: 0.21%, 1,193 fish, wk 32: 0.23%, 1,294 fish, wk 33: 0.34%, 1,112 fish, wk 34: 0.45%, 2,562 fish (increase in mortality was due to cage 2, due to gill issues), wk 35: 31.14% 175,115 fish, wk 36: 3.1% 12,001 fish, wk 37 morts: 2.02%, 7,582 fish
Bakkaness vessel deck surrounded by steel "gunnel" to act as a bund to stop any spillage entering environment. Another drop bund around mort chute.
Vaccinations:Aquavac, PD3, Ridgeway ERM (dip 1 and 2), Alpha-ject micro 1 and 6.
Outer morts: wk 35 morts: 3.34%, 20,188 fish wk 34 morts: 0.23%, 1,412 fish
Feeding reportedly at 80% (approx.) of expected. It was at 100% before event.
Site staff measure water quality every morning. They measure water temp, plankton, secchi depth, oxygen
Head biologist visits every week due to the issue. Visit frequency is usually less than this during routine times.
Fish on both farms from Stockinfiskur. Fish at Portree from Gravir, Portree outer fish from West Strome
Portree outer mortality has returned to normal after slightly increase. Portree mortality still slightly elevated but reduced greatly.
FW treatment conducted in conjunction with FLS treatment conducted wk 35 and start of wk 36. This was an attempt to flush gills and, as sea lice on site, to flush sea lice.
FW and FLS treatment planned for wk 39.
Lice numbers under control on site at 0.8 adult females per fish.
When fish are transported the mort tubs reportedly are all lidded. No boats are moved whilst mort tubs do not have lids on.
Lids must be removed prior to lifting (due to lid attachment method) and prior to emptying.
Bakkaness vessel (with 900 tonne capacity) transports ensiled waste to Ferguson transport on Kishorn pier taken to Fairlie and Dundas chemicals via tankers.
Cage 1 empty on 20/09/2023 and cage 2 empty on 17/09/2023. Harvested and transported off site live
Site biologist on site regularly to help site staff identify plankton species. If any plankton species cannot be identified, a photo is taken and sent away to be identified.
An APHA officer accompanied the FHI inspector on site. An RSPCA officer also attended the site the same day. [Original PDF]