Edward Mountain MSP has made a formal request for a Holyrood Committee to put Scotland’s Salmon Farm industry under closer scrutiny, following a continued and sustained rise in salmon farm mortalities.
Edward Mountain MSP made the request in a letter to the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee.
Edward Mountain MSP is the former Convener of the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) Committee, which undertook the Salmon Farming Inquiry in 2018 in the previous parliamentary session.
The REC Committee’s recommendations in 2018 stopped short of calling for a moratorium on the expansion of the salmon farming sector, but did conclude that the industry would need to implement enhanced and more effective standards.
In his letter to the Convener of the RAINE Committee, Edward Mountain MSP wrote:
As you will be aware, in 2018 the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee concluded its inquiry into Salmon Farming in Scotland with an extensive report which included a total 65 recommendations of where the sector should make improvements.
At the time of the inquiry, the sector appeared to be struggling to address the multiple challenges of controlling of sea lice, lowering fish mortality rates and reducing the sector’s impact on the environment. Importantly, the committee was strongly of the view that the status quo in terms of regulation and enforcement was unacceptable, and that the bar needed to be raised by setting enhanced and more effective standards.
However, in the years since the inquiry, it would appear that the industry has been unable to address many of the issues raises in the REC Committee’s report, especially the fish mortality rates which are increasing at an alarming rate. To illustrate this, I have provided a summary below of the mortality data, sourced from Aquaculture Scotland (link here):
These figures alone question whether enough progress is being made by salmon producers to ensure their farming methods are responsible, sustainable, and meeting the recommendations set out in the REC Committee’s report.
With that in mind, I wonder if it would be appropriate for the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee to consider a review of the Salmon Farming industry’s actions since 2018 as part of its upcoming work programme.
Following the publication of the letter, Edward Mountain said:
“I accept the business need for salmon farming and the value it brings to the rural economy, but this should not be at any cost.
“Following the REC Committee’s inquiry into salmon farming in the previous parliamentary session, now is the time for the sector to come under close scrutiny again.”
Salmon Mortality Rates:
2021 - 29,958,552kg
2020- 27,368,508kg
2019 - 25,771,983kg
2018 - 16,573,210kg
2017 - 25,443,536kg
2016 - 22,239,861kg
