Salmon farm was hit by 'perfect storm' of events
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A SALMON company has admitted that a "perfect storm" of events caused it to lose nearly a third of its fish at its flagship Sutherland site in a single month.
Loch Duart salmon is lauded by top chefs and was served to guests at Buckingham Palace when Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011.
But the producer has now earned the unenviable distinction of recording what is thought to be the highest monthly mortality rate ever documented, after 30 per cent of fish died at its Loch Laxford farm in September.
Loch Duart said staff had been rearing "the fittest, best-looking salmon that we had ever produced" when disaster struck.
However its "amazing" staff did manage to save two-thirds of the fish thanks to their "skill, determination and care".
Tens of thousands of fish were killed by a deadly combination of disease, suffocation and a freak jellyfish attack according to the firm, which said the effects of climate change are proving challenging. It blamed plankton and algal blooms for depleting oxygen levels.
A spokesman for the company said: "Unfortunately in late September a combination of small jellyfish, low dissolved oxygen and gill issues resulted in a sudden spike in fish mortalities on one of our sites.
"These conditions arrived dramatically and rapidly and subsided within 10 days, with the site quickly returning to normal operations. None of our other nine sites were affected. Unfortunately, changing sea water temperatures are now producing challenges such as this that didn't exist previously and the company is investing and changing practices to refine its farming methods during warmer months.
"This is really sad news for the fish and the husbandry staff who had been rearing some of the fittest, best-looking salmon that we had ever produced.
"All the relevant authorities work with Loch Duart in analysing any fish health issues and Loch Duart is entirely transparent, publishing all our health figures online, in advance of the regular industry health updates. We are confident that through our commitment to environmentally low-impact solutions, we will continue to refine our practices and rear fit healthy fish loved by consumers worldwide.
"It is devastating to suffer such a 'perfect storm' of several environmental challenges at the same time. However it is testament to the skill, determination and care of our amazing team that they were able to turn things around at this site and save two-thirds of the fish."
But anti-salmon farm campaigners said the scale of fish deaths was "astonishing".
"We are not aware of a bigger percentage loss of fish at one salmon farm during a single month," said Andrew Graham-Stewart, director of Salmon and Trout Conservation Scotland.
Loch Duart insists that salmon are reared to exacting standards that have attracted the endorsement of the French quality assurance scheme, Label Rouge, and quality assurance from the RSPCA. It said mortality rates on its sites are published in advance of the regular industry health updates.
The RSPCA confirmed that Loch Duart reported the high mortality rate and has worked with the firm "to find additional ways to help better protect the fish in future".
A spokeswoman for the animal charity, added: "We are satisfied that action was taken by the company to swiftly address the problems in line with our scheme requirements. We are also reassured that a thorough review of all processes and procedures at the affected site has since taken place, to help better prevent and manage similar problems."
Loch Duart's salmon has appeared on the menus of celebrity and Michelin-starred chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc and Rick Stein.
