Mysterious salmon disease plagues Halden river

Several salmon caught in May in the Enningdalselva River in Halden municipality had symptoms of what researchers call “red skin disease.”

Multiple salmon with symptoms of the “red skin disease” were caught in the Enningdalselva River in Halden in May, according to Bjarne Granli, head of the Workers’ Hunters and Fishermen Association Halden.

In 2019, salmon with these symptoms were caught both in the Enningdals River and in the Sandvik River in Bærum, according to Jakt & Fiske.

Despite extensive research, the mystery was not solved, and there are no suspected listed or other common infectious salmon diseases that fit the so-called “red skin disease.”

“Absurd”

“This is potentially a very serious situation, and really absurd too since it has been one year and we still do not know what causes the disease,” fish consultant Øyvind Fjeldseth in the Norwegian Hunters and Fishermen’s Association warned in May.

Cases of the red skin disease have also been reported in Denmark and Scotland.

According to the Irish Times, salmon affected by the disease have a characteristic red-spotted rash on their underbelly and may appear lethargic or moribund.

Source: Norway Today