Drop in harvest ‘will be reversed’

THERE was a drop in Scottish farmed salmon production last year of 4.1 per cent to 171,722 tonnes, according to Marine Science Scotland figures published in September.

The main reason, according to the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation, was that the fish were harvested earlier because of ‘environmental issues in the water’.

These included jellyfish attacks and harmful algal blooms, said SSPO chief executive Scott Landsburgh. ‘We have to be very vigilant to ensure we have the healthiest fish in the sea at any given time and also ensure that the healthiest fish go to market,’ he told BBC Radio Scotland. He said parasites such as sea lice were a problem not just for Scotland but also for Norway and Canada, because of water environment changes in the northern hemisphere. ‘The environment is the manager of what happens and how we manage our fish. If it’s telling us there is something compromising our fish then we have to deal with it, and that’s what we’ve done.’ The Scottish industry had its second highest production level ever last year despite the drop, which Landsburgh said he believed would be reversed this year. He said Scotland was investing heavily in the farming of cleaner fish and last year 2.3 million lumpsucker and eight million wrasse ova were laid down to hatch. ‘This helps us manage our parasite challenges – it’s a great biological solution to what is basically a natural problem.’ The Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2015 showed an increase in trout production of 46 per cent to 8,588 tonnes.