Opinion

SO it appears that after all these years some of the old ways are being reconsidered, or so I am told. Smaller and square pens are being openly discussed as better alternatives if you want to manage lice well, or if you ever have to treat. Neither is any surprise to me but it shows the size of the issues that the salmon industry is facing, as the cost implications of both are not inconsiderable.

In a market such as is occurring just now, this may seem a good idea but remember what happens to the oil industry when the price of oil falls. I think the SNP will remember it for some time to come and so should we.

Scotland’s farms have to be cost competitive with Norway or they won’t exist. Of course, this all depends on whether a relatively easy solution to lice is found, which can operate in large pens.

If so, and that’s a big if, production will become comparatively simple again and the price will fall.

Until this happens the role of strategist in this industry becomes a long-term pressure on depreciation, or persevere in the low cost approach on the basis that sooner or later it will be cracked?

My guess is that companies are starting to look at different horses for different courses.

There are some sites that need all the help and some that are less demanding. Balancing risk may give enough time to allow for development.

Of course, a strong market gives companies robustness for a certain length of time, but I think sea lice will be with us for a long time and so strategies will have to take this into account.

But there will be other pressures and these will come to bear over the next few years as well.

Brexit is not proving the disaster that a lot of people thought it might. (I know, some people would add ‘yet’!) As I have said before, there will be shocks and demands from Brexit just as there are being in the EU.

The pound is very low against the dollar and euro, which is valuable for an exporter and far outweighs the feed cost increase.

This balance may easily change, especially with the rise of Marine le Pen in France. Even if the far right did not win the election earlier this month, the EU is looking considerably more wobbly than it was a couple of years ago.

It is hard to predict the way the US will go under Trump but it would be surprising if there was not a lot of nervousness about the dollar, also making this export outlet one to watch.

A great market is always a fantastic time to do business but it is also the best time to plan forward.

They say that the best companies always increase their marketing budgets at the top and bottom of the market. So maybe now is time to think more about how we present ourselves.

Certainly, our image has improved enormously in the last 10 years. Maybe the same number of nutters still exist out there, determined to believe against all the evidence that aquaculture is a bad thing.

If there are, they aren’t getting the traction they used to and it is notable that they are usually represented in papers with tiny readerships. This does not mean that we should be in any way complacent.

Our industry, whether it is mussels or salmon, has an impact, as all industries do, and we have to mitigate it and work with those who are trying to conserve.

As long as both sides are working for the betterment of the area, there should be no reason that it cannot be a pleasant process.

What I would say to my friends in conservation is that it makes discussion a lot easier if you understand the business that you are trying to work with. Visit and discuss what we do and why we do it.

Most farmers on land and sea love nature and love having it around. Our markets like the idea of it, but like the idea of a low price a whole lot more.

We need help to develop practices and discussion on mitigation. Confrontation rarely works and usually results in stalemate.

To the salmon industry, I want to bring out an old chestnut, but beg for its relevance today. tations? Has no one heard of caged chickens? I even once had a Swiss customer write a be kept in metal cages.

For an industry that has developed so far in marketing, when will we properly kill off this word? wonderful. Actually, almost every word in the English language, apart from prison, is better than cage.

Almost every word in the English language, apart from prison, is better than cage