Scottish Government claims ‘significant progress’ on aquaculture
Following the publication of a hard-hitting report on reforms in the salmon industry, the Scottish Government has reaffirmed its support for the sector, while acknowledging the need for more progress.
The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs & Islands (RAI) Committee has published a report, following its inquiry into the salmon farming industry, which calls for a firmer timetable for implementing the reforms called for in an earlier report in 2018.
The RAI Committee has also added its own recommendations to address issues such as fish welfare and mortality, impact on the environment and the planning process.
Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands said: “Scotland’s salmon industry is a significant contributor to our rural economy and we are wholly committed to the sector’s success.
"We’ve made significant progress on a number of key issues, including on, for example, the management of sea lice and environmental protection, since the previous wide-ranging committee inquiry.”
“We’ve also published our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture, setting out how we will support the development of our aquaculture industry to operate within environmental limits while continuing to deliver social and economic benefits for Scotland.
“I am grateful to the Committee for their detailed report and recognise the call to make progress at pace in other key areas. We will consider the report carefully and respond in due course.”
Tavish Scott, chief executive of industry body Salmon Scotland, said: “Scottish salmon farms already have world-leading welfare and environmental standards and are subject to strict regulation, but we continue to innovate which is why survival rates are at a four-year high, sea lice levels are at a historic low, and consumer sales of our nutritious fish are on track to break all records.
“We engaged constructively with MSPs to provide evidence of the significant progress our sector has made, and we note that most of their recommendations are for the Scottish Government.”
‘An abdication of responsibility’
Meanwhile, critics of the industry have been quick to argue the RAI Committee has not gone far enough.
Dale Vince, founder of the Green Britain Foundation, said: “This is an abdication of responsibility. These recommendations are woefully inadequate to address the severe environmental damage being caused by the salmon farming industry.
“The people and wildlife of Scotland deserve better. Salmon farming makes no sense, economically or environmentally. It takes five wild fish to produce one farmed salmon, a perverse exchange of resources.”
The Green Britain Foundation is calling for a complete moratorium on new salmon farm licences and expansions, and would prefer to see the industry phased out altogether.
Rachel Mulrenan, Chief Executive of campaign group WildFish, said: “It’s hugely disappointing that the committee has once again fallen short of calling for a moratorium on industry growth, considering the huge issues the industry has faced for many years, and the overwhelming evidence presented over the past months demonstrating that these issues are in many cases getting even worse. Until these issues are dealt with, the threat to wild salmon and sea trout remains critical.”
She added: “What the report lacks, however, is a fundamental questioning of whether open-net salmon farming can ever be truly sustainable, particularly within the context of climate change – where the balance of costs and benefits of this industry truly lies, when all the many negative impacts on other sectors and on the wider environment, in Scotland and overseas, are properly taken into account – and what an alternative vision could be for Scotland’s coastal waters and surrounding communities.”
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