Up to 5,000 salmon escape from farm in Stormont

In Glenarm, County Antrim, up to 5,000 farmed salmon may have escaped from a fish farming site due to a rip found in the net of a salmon cage on a Sunday evening. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) is currently assessing the situation and determining necessary actions. Local angling groups have expressed concerns that the escaped salmon could threaten the wild salmon population's long-term health. The chairman of the Ulster Angling Federation highlighted the risk of escaped farmed salmon reproducing with wild salmon, potentially leading to a decline in the fitness and survival rates of the offspring. The escaped salmon pose additional risks as they have been treated with antibiotics and anti-sea lice chemicals, which may not have been fully withdrawn before their escape. This raises concerns about the safety of consuming these fish, as they may be unfit for human consumption. Daera has confirmed that the salmon farming business has repaired the damaged cage and is conducting inspections of the remaining cages in both Glenarm and Red Bay. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by salmon populations in Northern Ireland, which are already under threat from various factors, including pollution and poor survival rates in rivers and the sea. The potential for farmed salmon to escape and interbreed with wild populations adds another layer of complexity to the conservation efforts aimed at protecting native salmon species. As the situation develops, the focus will remain on monitoring the escaped fish and implementing measures to mitigate any negative impacts on the local ecosystem.