About 400,000 salmon dead across three fish farms in Newfoundland

ST. JOHN’S – Mowi Canada East says about 400,000 fish have died across three of its salmon farming sites along the south coast of Newfoundland.

The loss represents about 23 per cent of the Atlantic salmon at the three sites near Harbour Breton, N.L., which is at the southern tip of the Connaigre Peninsula, about 230 kilometres east of St. John’s.

The company says in a Facebook post that it is still too soon to determine exactly how many fish died.

The post says the salmon were killed by a thermocline inversion, during which cold, low-oxygen water swells up to the surface.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture says it is working closely with Mowi as the company investigates what happened.

Mowi did not respond to questions about how it is disposin