Is Mowi Harvest Lying? Well, er, Yes.

So not only everyone who comes in contact with in-ocean fish farms knows how bad they are for the environment and economy, the fish farm companies know, too. Marine Harvest, having to change its name to Mowi, because of negative image, had to own up to its shareholders. Its own lawyers made them write this damning text in 2013. So, when fish farms say there are no problems with fish farms, tell them, they are lying. Their own boss has listed  them all and it's an almost endless list.


Here is the link: https://www.safesalmon.ca/factoryfishfiles?utm_campaign=writ_1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=safesalmon.

Here is a link to the documents themselves: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1567528/000091957413003746/d1386163_ex1.htm.

These documents were prepared by Marine Harvest (the world's biggest factory fish company, now renamed to Mowi) for their investors in 2013.

Their lawyers forced them to tell their investors the truth, things they'd rather not admit to the public.

Marine Harvest’s documents list in gruesome detail in the company’s own words, the viruses, parasites and human health concerns associated with their factory fish. 

"1.1.2.6 Negative impact on the environment

Salmon farming may have a negative impact on the environment by way of discharge of nutrients and medicaments in the marine environment through overfeeding and faeces from fish, infection of wild species or shedding of sea lice by the caged fish (see further section 1.1.2.1” Fish escape above, use of unsustainable sourced feed (see further section 1.1.1.2 Error! Reference source not found – Feed costs, supply and sustainability above) and CO2 emissions related to feed production and distribution of end products. From time to time, it is also necessary for Marine Harvest to kill predators in order to protect fish welfare, employees and infrastructure and to avoid escapes.

Some of Marine Harvest’s sites are located close to protected areas or highly sensitive areas as regards biodiversity. The effect of salmon farming on the environment and biodiversity is intensively discussed among scientific groups. New know-how on the environmental impact of salmon farming may force closure of sites located in vulnerable areas and costly measures to be implemented. Specific additives in feed and medicaments could become prohibited if found to be negatively impacting the environment. If Marine Harvest is held liable for breaches of environmental laws and regulations it may have a material effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations of cash flow of the Group.”

Now, if the company itself acknowledges all this stuff, even they know how bad fish farms are. Remember this when they crow there is no scientific evidence against fish farming, as they are doing in Oct, 2019, in BC to thwart the Trudeau govt plans to put them on land, say that’s BS, even Mowi, says there is evidence and known it for nearing a decade, just like tobacco CEOs knew cigarettes caused cancer 30 years before they said it, and maintained for that whole time they didn’t know cigarettes caused cancer, even though all the rest of us knew.

And they know even more than tobacco CEOs:

“1.1.2.1 Biological risks and diseases

Marine Harvests operations are subject to several biological risks which could have a negative impact on future profitability and cash flows. Biological risks include for instance diseases, viruses, bacteria, parasites, algae blooms, jelly fish and other contaminants. There elements as well as fluctuating seawater temperatures and oxygen depletion may have adverse effects on fish survival, health, growth and welfare and result in reduced harvest weight and volume, downgrading of products and claims from customers.

Salmon farming operations involves a considerable risk with regard to diseases. An outbreak of a significant or severe disease represents a cost for Marine Harvest through e.g. direct loss of fish, lost growth on biomass, accelerated harvesting loss of quality of harvested fish and may also be followed by a subsequent period of reduced production capacity and loss of income. Diseases are also a threat to the environment and the welfare of the fish. Some diseases are subject to governmental control measures and are monitored closely by international and national governmental bodies. The most sever diseases my require culling and disposal of the entire stock, disinfection of the farm and a long subsequent fallow period as preventative measures to stop the disease from spreading. Market access could be impeded by strict border controls, not only for salmon from the infected farm, but also for products originating from a wider geographical area surrounding the site of an outbreak. Continued disease problems mal also attract ngative media attention and public concerns.

Even though vaccines and cures have been developed for many of the diseases, the effectiveness of preventions and treatments varies between diseases and grographical locations of the farms. New diseases could arise and excessive use of antibiotics by the industry could result in bacterial species developing antibiotic resistance and reviving diseases which today are subject to effective control.

Salmon farming has historically experienced several episodes with extensive disease problems. There can be no assurance that Marine Harvest will not experience extensive disease problems in the future. Epidemic outbreaks of diseases, including but not limited to the ones described below, may have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow of the Group."

This just keeps on getting worse, doesn't it? And remember that the real issue here is that Mowi Harvest knows all about its problems, even though every time you hear them in public they go on crowing about how environmentally sustainable they are, and producing an organic product.

Organic? I think not.

And there is more:

 

"Production-related disorders

The biological limits for how fast fish can grow have been challenged as the aquaculture industry has intensified its production. Intensive farming methods may cause production related disorders in particular relating to physical deformi8ties and cataracts. These may lead to financial losses in the form of reduced growth and health, reduced quality on harvesting, and damage to the industry or Marine Harvest’s reputation. Research has shown that deformities can be caused by excessively high temperatures during the fish’s early life, too little phosphorous or imbalanced mineral content in the diet, light manipulation to speed up the rate of growth, acidic water, too much carbon dioxide in the water during the freshwater phase and too rapid growth in the freshwater phase."

You can look at an original document archived with the US Securities and Exchange Commission:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1567528/000091957413003746/d1386163_ex1.htm.

So, next time a fish farm says there is no evidence or science against fish farms, tell them that you know they have already confessed to the many problems that the industry causes. You have just read the exact words out of Mowi Harvest's mouth. And ask them whether CEO Alf-Helge Aarskog used to work for Pall Mall or another tobacco company.

Go look in the archived document as there is far more about risk, at both Cermaq and Mowi, than summarized here. For instance, go to page 7 where it starts listing a dozen diseases with ISAV.