A popular but costly fish salmon imported from Norway is contaminated with parasites, which can make its way and spread to Turkish salmon farms, resulting in mass mortality and economic losses for the fishing industry, said an expert after conducting detailed research.

Within the scope of the research, professor Argun Akif Özak, an academic specializing in fish diseases, examined Norwegian salmon sold in markets.

Giving information about the research, the professor stated that a type of parasite from the "Lepeophtheirus salmonis" family has been detected in imported salmon products.

"We also examined samples we took from salmon farms in the Black Sea. We did not find this type of parasite in those samples. Yet, there is no guarantee that such a problem will not occur in domestic salmon farms in the coming years."

Noting that the Turkish salmon sector is growing steadily each year and that 50,000 tons of Turkish salmon exports were made in 2022, Özak emphasized that live fish imports should be done in a highly controlled manner to avoid problems in the rapidly growing Turkish sector.

There is a high probability for the transmission of these parasites when importing live fish from abroad as these parasites attach themselves to the outer layer of the fish, damaging its skin and blood vessels to feed on it, the professor added.

"When these parasites multiply excessively, it can substantially hit the fish population, which means a grave economic loss for producers."

About 24 kinds of parasites, commonly known as "fish lice" or "sea lice," are found in fish living in Turkish waters.

These parasites feed on blood they suck from fish skin and cause mass deaths as they rapidly increase in fish raised in a captive environment.

Contrary to popular belief, in terms of human health, most fish parasites do not cause any negative symptoms and therefore are not considered a health hazard.