Bob Earll: The piece contains two articles, the first from SARN in response to their call for support for an inquiry and the second which looks at the evidence sessions to the inquiry.

1. Salmon Aquaculture Reform Network Scotland

An especially BIG thank you to those of you who wrote to the ECCLR Committee voicing your concerns.  The deadline for writing to the ECCLR committee has now passed but all submissions can be viewed here:

http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/107592.aspx

But we have more work to do and we will need your help to make our voices heard!  The REC Committee has invited written submissions for its inquiry (deadline: 27 April 2018). To find out more about this inquiry, visit http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Rural/Inquiries/REC_Salmon_Inquiry_CFV.pdf

We will keep you informed about how best to respond, but in the meantime, keep spreading the word among family and friends! You can also follow Salmon Aquaculture Reform Network Scotland members @ScotSalmonTank, @SealifeA and @ArranCoast on Twitter to keep up to date with the latest developments and join in the debate.

Thank you for your support! Let’s make change in the salmon farming industry – Scotland’s communities and environment can no longer wait.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/clean-up-scotland-s-unsustainable-fish-farming-industry

SARNS

The Salmon Aquaculture Reform Network Scotland (SARNS) is a growing coalition of community, coastal and environmental groups and concerned individuals from all over the west coast and islands of Scotland. We are campaigning for immediate reform of the salmon farming industry. SARNS started this campaign on the 38 Degrees Campaigns by You website. If there’s an issue close to your heart that you’d like to campaign on, you can start your campaign here.

2. Salmon Farming Inquiry on TV
Dip into the Committee evidence session video to get a flavour of what was discussed at the ECCLR Committee. Dr Hughes from SAMS claimed MPAs and aquaculture can coexist if the risk assessment says there is no impact on conservation features. However, Professor Callum Roberts, a recognised expert in MPAs and academic consultant for Blue Planet II, disagrees with this opinion: “The multiple environmental problems associated with open-cage salmon farming have been thoroughly established by scientific research. Individually, many impacts represent a serious risk to the conservation objectives of marine protected areas. Collectively, they guarantee an unacceptable level of impact. Open cage salmon farms are incompatible with the conservation objectives of protected areas and should not be sited within them.”

Evidence pouring in
Many scientific gaps and issues about the SAMS report, commissioned to inform the inquiry, have been highlighted by Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Creel Fishing Federation and a long list of key stakeholders.

Revealing written evidence, like Aileen Robertson’s from Skye, highlight how the industry and government’s plans to double salmon farming in Scotland would affect local sustainable livelihoods where she lives; creel fisheries, sea angling, shellfish farming, wildlife tours and the local dive centre would be affected with up to 11 jobs lost to environmental damage from fish farms. Charlotte Goodlet emphasizes this point as her husband is a scallop diver and creel fisherman and she runs a small scale edible seaweed harvest enterprise. They too rely on healthy seas.