The Scottish government has been criticised for its “slow progress” on regulating the salmon farming industry by a parliamentary inquiry held by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee.
The report reveals that MSPs “seriously considered” calling for a moratorium on new farms and expansion of existing sites due to concerns over persistently high salmon mortality rates but did not do so due to uncertainties over the impact on jobs and communities, the Guardian reported.
The report called for “stronger leadership” and an immediate timetable from the Scottish government to address concerns over the long-term viability of salmon farming in Scotland, and for this to be overseen by a minister within a year.
The report considered the state of the salmon industry in Scotland, identified opportunities for its future development and explored how fish health and environmental challenges could be addressed.
The inquiry looked at the report’s recommendations and assess where progress has been made across four themes:
- environmental impacts and regulatory reform
- animal welfare
- interactions with wild salmon
- economic and social benefit
A series of recommendations from the inquiry included new powers to halt production on sites with persistently high mortality rates, increased transparency including the mandatory publication of weekly salmon mortality figures, setting welfare standards for farmed fish and an end to the siting of farms close to wild salmon migration routes.
John Aitchison, a spokesperson for the campaign group Coastal Communities Network Scotland, said: “The very high mortality figures in Scotland’s salmon farms are a national disgrace, so we welcome the recommendations.”
Tavish Scott, chief executive of industry body Salmon Scotland, said: “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.”
Mairi Gougeon, the cabinet secretary for rural affairs, said the government had made “significant progress” on a number of areas, including the management of sea lice and environmental protection, since the 2018 inquiry.
“I am grateful to the committee for their detailed report and recognise the call to make progress at pace in other key areas,” she said. “We will consider the report carefully and respond in due course.”
The report from the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee can be read here.