Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture said in a statement March 1 that two ‘land-based aquaculture facilities’ in the province had been hit with virulent outbreaks of infectious salmon anemia (ISA), resulting in the destruction of 600,000 salmon smolts. Quoting unnamed sources, Undercurrentnews reported the facilities are Dartek and the Little Harbor Hatchery, growers for Northern Harvest Sea Farms, which is being bought by Marine Harvest. The report says the eggs were supplied by Northern Harvest’s broodstock operation in Dover, Prince Edward Island.

Nova Scotia Fisheries Minister Keith Colwell told local news media it was almost a complete loss for one company, but the other lost only part of its stock. He said it’s highly unusual to have an outbreak of infectious salmon anemia at a land-based facility.

Colwell said his department will be investigating how the smolts became infected.