Salmon farming faces crisis amid sea lice epidemic
SCOTS salmon farmers are facing a parasite crisis that has contributed to the death of millions of fish.
The industry has major problems with lice becoming increasingly resistant to growth-limiting chemicals.
This, along with a surge in salmon dying from disease, has led to a cut in output – sparking rising costs and prices.
The Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture has revealed 2.3million salmon died in the first nine months of 2017 at Marine Harvest – one of Scotland’s largest fish farm operators – from causes including heart disease, gill diseases, sea lice infestations and anaemia.
The figures were revealed as MSPs launched an inquiry into the environmental impact of salmon fishing – which will focus on the potential for lice from farmed salmon to damage wild fish populations.
Yesterday, Holyrood’s environment committee quizzed stakeholders on the crisis – with the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) committing to publish data on sea lice and fish morality.
Growing concerns have been raised over the environmental impact of lice and the sheer scale of salmon deaths. A recent report by SAMS Research Services concluded there are gaps in the data collected from fish farms and called for lice statistics to be published.
SSPO general manager David Sandison said: ‘We understand and acknowledge that there are gaps in data. I can confirm that from here on we will be publishing all data associated with sea lice counts on Scottish farms.
‘We want to have a proper, open, honest dialogue about the actual status of farmed sites in Scotland. If we feel, or if people feel, that data can be of use to the scientific and research community and can move us forward, then fine. We have absolutely no problem in being completely open and transparent with that data. There’s nothing we wish to hide away.’
Mr Sandison said farm level mortality data would also be published.
John Aitchison of the pressure group Friends of the Sound of Jura said the decision was welcome but had been forced upon the industry.
He said the aggregate data had concealed ‘massive spikes’ of sea lice in many farms, adding: ‘Those spikes are the ones that are doing the biggest harm. That information needs to be not just published but acted on instantly.’
International research has found wild salmon and sea trout can also be affected by the lice hitting salmon farms – with fears of growing infestation.
A study carried out at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research found ‘a general and pervasive negative effect of salmon lice on salmonid populations in intensively farmed areas of Ireland, Norway and Scotland’.
Lice have become increasingly resistant to chemicals used to limit their spread and growth.
In 2016, Scottish fish farmers admitted they threw away up to ten million farmed salmon – almost a quarter of their stock.
‘There’s nothing we wish to hide’