We’ve no idea if we’re curbing damage of fish farms, admit watchdogs
SCOTLAND’S leading environmental watchdogs have admitted they do not know if their policies are helping to prevent damage from the expansion of salmon farming.
Campaigners fear a massive rise in the number of fish farms could cause irrecoverable damage to the environment.
Yesterday, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) were put on the spot by MSPs over whether they were doing enough to tackle the issue.
But, appearing before Holyrood’s rural economy and connectivity committee, neither organisation was able to say if current regulations were protecting the environment.
SNH also admitted that it does not know how much capacity there is for the industry to expand in future.
It comes amid serious concerns about the continued growth of Scotland’s single biggest food export, worth £600million a year.
The industry is also facing a crisis caused by a big rise in sea lice contamination.
Yesterday, Tory MSP Edward Mountain, the committee convener, asked Cathy Tilbrook, of SNH: ‘Has the regulatory framework that is in place at the moment protected or enhanced the environment in which salmon farms operate?’
She replied: ‘I don’t think I can answer that yes or no. I couldn’t say it had enhanced. I think to most extents it hasn’t degraded it because we’ve got safeguards in place but there are some issues which we’ve touched on which have to be improved.’
The SNH unit manager added that ‘we are concerned about growth targets that are set without being in accordance with environmental capacity’, and said the watchdog needed to get a better idea of how much scope there was for new salmon farms ‘without risk to the Scottish environment’.
Asked by Nationalist MSP John Mason if the capacity of salmon farms is known, she said: ‘I think we are quite a long way from really knowing that.’ Anne Anderson, chief officer of compliance at SEPA, also said there ‘isn’t something as simple as a yes or no’ answer to whether the regulatory framework protects the environment.
Mark Harvey, Highland Council team leader for development and infrastructure service, told the committee there were areas in the West of Scotland which should be judged as having too many fish farms.
He said: ‘There is a huge amount of work to be done there. My feeling, two years into this job, is we are about 30 years too late. We have an awful lot of work to do.’
Last month, Holyrood’s environment committee raised concerns that farmed salmon might be contaminated with a range of pathogens and parasites which could spread to wild fish.
It also warned the expansion of salmon farms may cause a further increase in the spread of sea lice, which can make fish susceptible to disease and infection.
Campaigner Don Staniford, of Scottish Salmon Watch, said: ‘Looking at what was said by SNH, SEPA and Highland Council hardly inspires confidence.
‘Given the lack of information they have, why expand production when you don’t know what the impacts are?
‘It is clear that SEPA isn’t up to the job. It is not a watchdog, it’s a lapdog. It’s so close to industry.’
Comment – Page 18
‘Hardly inspires confidence’