No concentrations of oil in the water column have been found that could affect fish stocks during any of the drilling in 2017. In case of a blowout, waves will naturally mix some of the oil into the water below the ocean surface. However, in the water there will be a rapid dilution of the toxic oil components that can have effects on marine life.
Fish eggs and larvae
There are fish eggs and larvae that are most sensitive to oil impact. The concentrations of these in the boron locations have not been shown to be particularly high, and modelled oil concentrations in the water are low. Calculations show that there may be mortality of egg and larvae in a radius of between 20 and 30 kilometres around a blowout, but this is not expected to lead to measurable consequences for fish stocks in the Barents Sea.