The Affluent Knightsbridge is home to many high-end restaurants that cater to all tastes and flavors. It also houses the famous Lorenzo's, an Italian restaurant frequented regularly by celebrities. Many of those establishments offer Mediterranean-inspired fare and also specialise in fish dishes, but some of them are facing a salmon shortage due to a mini-marine disaster off the coast of Northern Ireland which has resulted in the loss of over 100,000 salmon.

Ironically, the culprit of the tragedy is a small, purple jellyfish that lives in Mediterranean waters. It often stings swimmers. The salmon were attacked by billions of Pelagia Nocticula, also known as mauve-stingers. There was no way to save them. The farm owners of Northern Salmon have lost at least PS1million and their entire future is in jeopardy.

John Russell, the distraught managing director of the company, said that he had only joined three days prior to the disaster and that he was shocked by the incident. It was amazing, unprecedented. It was so red that the sea was covered in jellyfish. We couldn't do anything about it.

The attack lasted nearly seven hours and was spread through the entire farm's 35-foot deep, 10-square mile matrix of cages. It decimated the entire salmon stock. Workers were sent in three boats to rescue the salmon, but the jelly fish in water was so dense that they could not reach the cages fast enough to save them.

The devastating loss of salmon will have huge consequences for Mediterranean and specialist fish restaurants in London, who are major customers of Northern Salmon Ltd. Prices will rise in the short-term and could even disappear from the menu until London's best restaurants can find an alternative supply. This disaster will likely bring an end to lucrative business relationships that the company had with top-tier restaurants in the USA and France.

Scientists blame global warming for the disaster. They point out that 10 year ago, mauve-stingers were rare outside of the Mediterranean Sea. Now, migration to this far north is evidence that it is indeed happening. However, this is irrelevant to Northern Salmon Ltd. The government now controls the company's future. Russell, the newly appointed MD, says the company will be shut down if they don't receive urgent aid from the Northern Ireland Parliament.

Isla Campbell works as an online freelance journalist. She is also an avid traveler, and pilates fan. She lives in Oban, when she is not on the road.

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