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Average female lice per fish

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Salmon Scotland mortality

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Cumulative mortality over full production cycle

Gometra Production cycle end date: Apr 2018
Total losses: 6.6 %

Gometra Production cycle end date: Apr 2020
Total losses: 18.8 %

Gometra Production cycle end date: Feb 2022
Total losses: 23.3 %

Gometra Production cycle end date: Apr 2024
Total losses: 39.4 %

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Inspection reports

Case Number: 2021-0192

Download Grumbling mortality wks 37 (2020) - week 16(2021) attributed to background PD - low mortality. wk 48 2019- Percentage mortality slightly higher in company records than what was reported to FHI - 1.32% - Site manager explained that extra fish were found at end of cycle and that’s why number has changed in fish talk.
Issues with black loss (less fish retrieved at end of cycle or grade than expected) at end of cycle with cleaner fish. Site manager suspects that mortality is not being identified where cleaner fish stick to sides of pen and don’t end up in mort basket before rotting away. Site manager mentioned that efforts are being made to reduce black loss. Site are trialling new and different hide set ups and increasing the amount of hide available to Cleanerfish. This will help provide sanctuary during rough weather as well as reduce stress.
Cleanerfish mortality (last 4 weeks)
Week 19 - Wrasse - 8 - Lumpsucker - 11
Week 20 - Wrasse - 6 - Lumpsucker - 10 week 21 - Wrasse -2 Lumpsucker 2
Week 22 - Wrasse - 9 - Lumpsucker -6
Cleanerfish mortality picked up during regular mortality removal is generally low, however there is issue with black loss during grades and harvests. (see details below)
Wrasse Black loss recorded as mortality - Picked up during grading in week 16 2021 - 10995 mixed species and 8807 Ballan
Lumpsucker Black loss from movements off site - week 35 9770 and week 36 3398
2020 weeks 13 , 17 and 18 - 4146, 4464 and 2365 - Lumpsucker Black loss from end of cycle harvesting. [Original PDF]

Case Number: 2021-0492

Download Freshwater treatment being undertaken this week using Ronja Fisk. Each cage is being treated for three hours.
More freshwater treatments in April (same time the fish were graded and split with Gigha) and August. Treatments were reportedly successful and cleared AGD very well.
Swabs taken every two weeks for AGD wk 42 mortality was increased due to lice treatment (alphamax). Not thought to be caused by treatments itself but caused by crowding of fish prior to treatment. The whole site was not treated due to issues with crowd, just 1 cage treated.
Hydrolicer used in wk 42-wk 43. Reportedly successful. Worked better than failed alphamax treatment as they aren't needed to be crowded for so long.
Biologist visited in wk 42. Taken blood samples. They noted the gills were in poor condition but lice and plankton levels were low
Caligus numbers were an issue since last inspection and were up at 13 (average per fish) in week 42 but that fell to 0.6 after hydrolicer treatment. No physical damage caused to fish
Last treatment using SLICE in July. Treatment was prophylactic as lice were not at a level that they would usually treat at. The treatment did reduce lice numbers.
LUM mortality elevated in wk 42 lumpfish mortality due to treatments and harvests.
Harvested 4 cages already. Site has been continually harvested since wk 42 and this will continue until early next year when the site is fallow. Largest fish being harvested first.
Wrasse on site are ballan wrasse from the wild. Lumpsuckers are hatchery reared [Original PDF]

Case Number: 2023-0081

Download Paperwork by , observed by
High winds prevented access to site, paperwork completed at shorebase. Site staff were unable to undertaken daily duties at site due to adverse weather. Site observed on camera's at shorebase and large swell going through site which is exposed, especially to westerly winds. Fish are fed from shorebase feeding station, they were observed shoaling well.
Site manger reported that mortalities have decreased as water temperatures have decreased, although temperatures are still reported to be over 14oC, (14.2oC was displayed by site systems at time of inspection).
Site staff controlling/monitoring feeding from shorebase reported that wrasse could be observed feeding on sea lice, where as the lumpfish didn't display the same behaviour. Bakkafrost are reported to be moving from lumpfish to wrasse for cleaner fish and these were reported to be the last batch of lumpfish that will be input to a Bakkafrost site.
The pens on the westerly side of the site were reported to be worst affected by microjellies (muggiae), although all cages suffered mortalities. From most recent health report muggiae were still being observed in the 5m and 10m trawls, although other species of micro jellyfish were now at lower levels.
Site reportedly trialled skirts to keep microjellies out of cages, these were reported to be ineffective, aeration was also used and this was reported to have a positive effect, with the numbers of microjelly fish observed in cages reportedly almost half of that outside.
WRA mortality w/b 09/10 - 13 (0.07%), w/b 02/10 - 71 (0.36%), w/b 25/09 - 255 (1.29%), w/b 09/10 - 459 (2.26%)
LUM mortality w/b 09/10 - 31 (0.11%), w/b 02/10 - 65 (0.24%), w/b 25/09 - 274 (0.99%), w/b 18/09 - 475 (1.69%)
Worst affected pen (pen 2) was harvested on 10/10/23 and the second worst affected pen (pen 14) is due to be harvested next week (W/B 16/10/23), the site manager expected the mortalities to drop below 1% after pen 14 was harvested. [Original PDF]

Case Number: 2023-0270

Download Inspection of paperwork and site undertaken by accompanied by
LUM stocked at 95g but they are not routinely weighed. Hides used in cages. Reportedly no more lumpfish will be used in the company. They will be replaced with wrasse.
Samples taken for the presence of PD and have come back as negative.
Stocks of fish from Kinlochmoidart and Landcatch
Freshwater treatment and FLS being carried out during the site inspection. Started on 19/06/2023.
SLICE used from 20/04/23, 21/02/23, 09/12/22 and 14/10/22 for 7 day treatments each a time. Treatments used when caligus numbers were on the rise. Not to levels that will cause welfare issues.
Three dead fish observed over the site.
Sites on Mull reportedly get PD each year. PD resistant fish are being bred in Western Isles and the plan is to stock them onto sites in the future. PD is suspected at Gometra, but samples have been taken and have returned as negative.
Site switched from TMS to Optomease to anaesthetise fish. Switch was made due to ease of administration and safety.
Product contains benzocaine.
Due to feeding activity, fish sampled for VMD all had to be taken from the same stock. [Original PDF]

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