‘Slow progress’ in salmon farming improvements

MSPs have stopped short of calling for a ban on any expansion in the controversial salmon farming sector, despite “slow progress” in improving its environmental impact and governance. 

Holyrood’s rural affairs committee expressed concern that many recommendations from a 2018 report have still not been fully implemented. After nine months of reviewing improvements, the committee said it had given “serious consideration” to calls for a moratorium but was wary of the impact on rural jobs, and will review progress again in a year. 

Robert Outram, editor at Fish Farmer magazine, told Shooting Times: “The Rural Affairs and Islands Committee came up with some very detailed recommendations. In some cases, the Scottish government would say that work is already under way, but clearly the committee feels that progress has been too slow. 

“The proposal that fish farms showing ‘persistently high’ mortality rates should be made to suspend production is particularly radical and would not be that easy to achieve midway through a growth cycle. 

“I suspect the Scottish government’s main problem is not lack of will to implement change, but lack of resources to deal with the technical issues that change entails,” Mr Outram added.