The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (Matvælastofnun) has begun an investigation into an escape incident involving farmed Arctic char in the Westfjords peninsula in northwestern Iceland.
Matvælastofnun launched the investigation upon receiving an anonymous tip about dead and semi-dead char juveniles in Tálknafjörður Harbour earlier this month.
During the investigation, it was revealed that an event had taken place at Tungusilungur on December 30, 2025, which caused it to overflow into a tank located down on the beach close to Tálknafjörður Harbour. This resulted in farmed fish escaping into the sea.
According to information from the operating license holder, there were about 27,000 fish in this tank and several dozen had left the tank, but it will not be possible to determine the exact number until the tank has been emptied, which will be done over the next few weeks.
The operator said he believes that most, if not all, of the fish that have left the tank were dead or injured.
The average weight of fish in the affected tank is about 35 grams. The operating license holder did not activate a contingency plan for the incident.
Matvælastofnun is still looking into the matter and will issue a report when the investigation is completed.
