Following the Northern Harvest salmon die-off in Newfoundland, wild salmon harvest groups are taking the provincial government to court to answer questions about environmental assessments, NTVreported.

Mowi-owned Northern Harvest initially reported that as many as 1.8 million farmed salmon may have died in September, due to higher than normal temperatures. Later it announced that a total of 2.6 million fish died in the incident.

The salmon groups are claiming there are "glaring loopholes" in the province's aquaculture policy.

John Baird, from the Freshwater-Alexander Bays Ecosystem Corp., claimed it allows the fisheries ministry to waive the need for an environmental assessment of salmon farming cages.

"That is a loophole that needs to be corrected," he said.

According to Baird, during a court session on Wednesday, Newfoundland Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne did not agree to an environmental assessment, and added that investigation will continue into the government's policy.