Mowi has confirmed that it has experienced another mass die-off of farmed salmon on the province’s south coast.

The company says the losses, caused by sea lice infestations, occurred at two separate licenced farms, which in practical terms are considered one farm.

The sea lice infestations have been caused by what Mowi calls a prolonged period of high surface water temperatures, and no rainfall or freshwater run-off into the fjords, with no winds to drive surface currents.

Mowi says the mortalities were not as the result of a single event, but occurred over a period of weeks when Health Canada approved products were used to remove sea lice.

Mowi calls the incident a “painful loss” for its “dedicated and hard-working staff.” The company says the incident is an economic loss in what has proven to be an environmentally tough year for everyone in the province.