Farmed salmon mortality
Calls for an overhaul of the regulatory system have followed the revelation that Scottish salmon farmers recorded more than 35 million unexpected salmon deaths in just under three years, but there were only two unannounced inspections of facilities over the same period.
This follows on the heels of the Soil Association being forced to reveal its salmon farm inspection reports, amid claims by Wildfish that certifying the farmed fish as “organic” is misleading to consumers due to practices such as the use of Deltamethrin. This pesticide is used to kill sea lice infesting the caged salmon, but is also highly toxic to lobsters and other marine invertebrates.
Meanwhile questions have been raised as to how ‘honestly’ salmon farms report sea lice infestations.
Scottish Parliament enquiry into salmon farming
This week, MSPs on the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee resumed their assessment as to whether salmon farm companies and regulators have addressed the slow rate of progress in improving the regulation and enforcement of the industry to future-proof the industry and to enable it to grow sustainably. How many salmon farms can Scottish coastal waters take? You can read the enquiry documents and progress here.