Lurking danger

At the time of going to press, Arran remains Covid free since April. This is largely due to people taking responsibility for themselves and others, being aware of the dangers and exercising safety measures.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for another outbreak, that of the thousands of fish that have escaped from the Mowi site at Carradale North. Once again, escaped farmed salmon have been allowed into the wild population and the consequences, while not plain to immediately see, will have a devastating impact on the gene pool of wild salmon and the long-term survival of the species in our waters.

Environmentalists and those who are aware of the dangers have warned about this for decades, yet here we are with an underwater ecological disaster slowly taking place, out of sight and out of mind for many.

While countries like Denmark have recognised the dangers of open pen fish farming at sea – akin to raising wolves in a pen of sheep with only a thin barrier between them – Scotland has been slow in curbing the expansion of the industry and imposing strict regulations.

For those who watched David Attenborough’s recent Extinction documentary, an insightful and stark warning about what the future holds for our planet and wildlife, the urgency of the situation will be apparent.

Immense damage has already been done and it is high time the polluters and those who damage our environment and ecosystems are held accountable for their actions.