The Scottish government was criticized for “its slow progress” in organizing the salmon industry through a parliamentary investigation that took evidence for five months before reaching its conclusion.
the The report reveals The MSPS “looked seriously” calling for a stop on new farms and expanding the current sites due to fears of continuous high salmon mortality rates, but they did not do so because of the uncertainty about affecting jobs and societies.
The report called for a “stronger leadership” and an immediate timetable from the Scottish government to address concerns about the long -term feasibility for salmon in ScotlandAnd in order to supervise the minister within a year.
Scottish salmon is the largest global food export in the United Kingdom, With a value of 645 million pounds per year. The industry provides 2,500 direct jobs in the inhabited islands, rural societies and estimates indicating that they support 10,000 other jobs in the broader supply chain.
This investigation comes amid a record level of people in Scottish salmon farms, which led to an increase in the audit of fish and environmental pollution. In 2023, unprecedented 17.4 million salmon died on farms before the harvest2022 people exceeded 17.2 million. In the same year, salmon planting had the lowest decades production, according to L. Wiping the production of Scottish government fish farmPublished in October.
The industry blames excessive deaths for the factors outside its will, including Unusually large numbers of small jellyfishIt is possible that it is linked to global heating. Activists blame social welfare issues such as overcrowding.
The investigation, which was held from April to October, follows a previous sermon Report to the sector in 2018Which was cited with high films, “light touch” organization and environmental fears, and concluded that any expansion in the industry requires urgent action and organizational reform.
Vinley Carson, MSP and Chairman of the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee said he had realized industry efforts to invest and innovate amid challenges.
He said: “But more progress should have been made in implementing recommendations in 2018, in addition to expecting the impact of climate change and high sea temperatures on the industry.” “Ultimately, the role of the Scottish government, as well as industry, is to push the change agenda required to allow science, research and organizational landscapes to quickly keep pace with the changing marine environment.”
Carson told the Guardian that if no progress is made to address its concerns within 12 months, the committee will start looking at the impact of the endowment.
A series of recommendations from the investigation included new powers to stop production on sites with high death rates, and to increase transparency, including mandatory publishing of weekly salmon deaths, setting luxury standards for cultivated fish and ending to the location of the farmer near the wild methods of salmon.
The environment and luxury groups welcomed the report, but said it was “very disappointing” that he failed to call the endowment to stop the growth of industry.
“The very high deaths in the salmon farms in Scotland are a national shame, so we welcome the recommendations,” said John Achison, spokesman for the Coast Coast Community Group.
In October, death More than a million fish The largest mass of salmon is registered in Scotland – on a farm run by Mawoi Scotland, the largest resource in the United Kingdom.
Abeel Benny, Executive Director of Animal equality in the United KingdomHe said: “This damned report puts naked for the long failures of the Scottish -cultivated salmon producers, and reaffirms what we have known for years: industry in a state of crises.”
Tavish Scott, CEO of the Industry Authority, said: “We have made us constructed with MSPS to provide evidence of the great progress made by our sector, and we note that most of their recommendations are for the Scottish government.”
Miri Jojun, Minister of Cabinet for Rural Affairs, said that the government has made “great progress” in a number of areas, including the administration of sea lice and environmental protection, since 2018.
She said: “I am grateful to the committee for its detailed report, and I realize the call for progress at a pace in other major fields.” “We will look at the report carefully and respond in time.”
