Plastic bits littered across beaches

Beaches across the country are currently being combed to clear up little plastic disks that have washed ashore in recent weeks.

It turns out that the little disks are so-called biofilters used to purify the water in fish farms, which have somehow made their way into the sea.

Shortly after the news of the plastic pollution emerged, Atli Gregersen, CEO of salmon farming company Luna admitted that his company was responsible for the release of biofilters in Vágar, specifically in Miðvágur, where the biofilters leaked out through holes in bags during installation.

He added, however, that it is very unlikely that this has spread beyond Vágar.

Mystery not yet fully solved

Regin Jacobsen, CEO of salmon farming company Bakkafrost, says his company is not responsible for the release.

“Our initial investigations have shown that these are old biofilters that were used in the 1990s, probably from one of the old, closed-down smolt farms, where the filters have somehow spilled into the water,” he said.

According to Bakkafrost’s current equipment providers, it is impossible that the biofilters can leak out from the daily operations into the sea.

Jacobsen does, however, take partial responsibility for past mistakes in the fish farming industry, and Bakkafrost staff are currently combing the beaches in the Skálafjørður area to clear up the litter.

Translated by prosa.fo