Scotland’s aquaculture licence regime ‘not fit for purpose’ says independent review

The licensing system for aquaculture in Scotland looks set for radical change following the publication today of an independent report into its effectiveness. The Aquaculture Regulatory Process review, headed by Professor Russel Griggs OBE, concludes that the stakeholders working with the current system see it as “not fit for purpose”. Professor Griggs also has strong…

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SEPA grants licence for Loch Long Salmon’s semi-closed farm

The plan for Scotland’s first semi-closed containment marine finfish farm has taken a step closer to reality, following the granting of an environmental permit to Loch Long Salmon for a farm at Beinn Reithe near Arrochar, on the west coast of Scotland. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has granted an environmental permit for the…

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Salmon farmers blast Crown Estate over rent hikes

Scotland’s salmon producers have reacted angrily to a new rent regime announced by Crown Estate Scotland. The new framework will see many farm rents increased by 95%, as well as the end of the discount for the outer islands. Crown Estate Scotland (CES) administers the seas around Scotland on behalf of the Crown and leases…

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Fall in wild salmon numbers ‘not down to fish farms’

Fish farms are not to blame for declining salmon numbers in Scotland, according to a research paper which has analysed rod catch data collected over seven decades. The peer-reviewed study has been published in the independent journal Aquaculture & Fisheries Studies. Author Dr Martin Jaffa, an aquaculture expert who now specialises in the interaction between…

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Bakkafrost profits warning after high mortality in Scotland

Bakkafrost warned last night that serious biological problems at its Scottish operation are continuing to generate increased mortality and financial losses into the final quarter of the year. The Faroese salmon farmer issued a profits warning on Sunday night stating that what it described as “extraordinary mortality” has led to a loss of 174.6 Danish…

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Grant for innovation at Scottish Salmon Company’s post-smolt facility

A four-year aquaculture research and development project has been awarded up to £5m in public sector funding. The post-smolt innovation project is being carried out at The Scottish Salmon Company’s (SSC) Applecross sites in the northwest Highlands. The initiative will create around 30 new rural jobs and significantly advance salmon farming in Scotland. Highlands and…

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SEPA moots ‘protection zones’ for wild salmon

The new regime for regulating fish farming in Scotland will include wild salmon protection zones in which applications for new or expanded farm sites could be turned down if the risk to wild fish from sea lice is deemed to be too great. The proposal is laid out in a consultation document from the Scottish…

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Seal attacks ‘cost Scottish salmon farmers £12m a year’

More than one million farm-raised salmon in Scotland are expected to have been killed by seals in the two years to the end of 2021, according to new figures released today. Statistics published by Salmon Scotland, the trade body for Scotland’s farmed salmon sector, reveal the extent of seal predation on salmon farms, with attacks…

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